When people around the Pittsburgh area heard that Andrew McCutchen was going to be batting third in the Pirates batting order, some people were skeptical. He is by far the Pirates fastest player and possibly the fastest man in Major League Baseball.
Wouldn’t a guy like this be better if he were batting leadoff?
The best and most talented hitter should be batting third, in my mind. McCutchen batted .286 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI last year. Expect those numbers to rise to 25 HR and 100 RBI this season, barring injury.
If the lineup changes for some reason and McCutchen moves to leadoff spot, then his overall HR and RBI totals will drop slightly. But if Jose Tabata and Neil Walker can consistently get on base, expect McCutchen to have an outstanding season batting third.
He is on the brink of being a household name, if he isn’t already. Watching him fly around the bases on TV doesn’t compare to watching him live at the ballpark. It is special watching him chase down fly balls, but he is dynamic when he hits the ball into the gap. That is the most exciting part to McCutchen’s game.
He just missed out on making the NL All-Star team last season, as he struggled in the weeks leading up to it. Evan Meek got the vote and McCutchen was left off. Not this season—McCutchen will be a surefire All-Star and will be able to showcase his talents on the national stage.
His 5’10”, 175-pound frame doesn’t scream power, but he has loads of it. He can spray it to all parts of the field. McCutchen could potentially be a 30-HR and 30-SB type of player this season. He stole 33 bases a year ago in his first full season as a Pirate.
If he does hit 30 HR and steal 30 bases this year, who knows what he will have in store for next season. He could hit 40 and steal 40 before his career is over.
The Pirates organization hasn’t seen a guy of this caliber since Barry Bonds.
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