Two days before Christmas, the Pirates announced that Andrew McCutchen had re-signed and will be a leader of the team again in 2025. The 38-year-old five-time All-Star and former National League MVP is a designated hitter these days, and in 2024 he batted .232 with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs in 120 games.
McCutchen’s association with the Pirates began when they selected him out of Fort Meade High School (Fla.) in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2009, and with the gifted center fielder leading way, Pittsburgh made three straight playoff appearances from 2013-15.
After playing for four other teams over a five-year period (2018-22), McCutchen returned to Pittsburgh -- where he, his wife Maria and the couple’s four children make their home -- as a free agent in 2023. In the following Q&A, he shares his thoughts on his journey in professional baseball, what it’s like to be with the Pirates again and what he still seeks to accomplish in the game.
You were drafted by the Pirates when you were 18 years old. At age 38 now, what stands out the most about your career in professional baseball?
Andrew McCutchen: When you get drafted and first start out, you’re kind of like a deer in headlights. You don’t really know what to expect. But I did understand that, as a first-rounder, a lot of eyes were going to be on me. You just want to compete and hold up your end of the bargain. Throughout the process, you have some successes and some failures, and you learn a lot. Heading into my 17th Major League season now, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got no matter what. I’m going to play every game like it’s my last. That’s the little prayer I say before every game. Winning a championship is still my ultimate goal. That’s what I want more than anything out on that field.
You played a little over 500 games in the Minors, including about 201 in Triple-A. How much did your significant Minor League experience set you up for the sustained success you enjoyed once you got to the Majors?
AM: Yeah, it was very beneficial to me. Back in 2007, I felt like I had a really good Spring Training, and the Pirates were dealing with some injuries in the outfield. People started asking if I would make the team as a 20-year-old. But I got sent down to Double-A on the last day of camp, and I remember being really heartbroken about it. I felt like I didn’t do enough. I went to Altoona and felt like I had to do more. I put pressure on myself and had a bad first half of the season. But Tim Leiper, who was Altoona’s manager at the time, gave me one of the best pep talks I’ve ever had. He reminded me how good a player I could be, and why I played the game. That changed the trajectory of my career. It was beneficial to go through those struggles because that propelled me to my successes in the big leagues.
When you came back to the Pirates in 2023, the wheels for that were set in motion when you sent a text to team chairman Bob Nutting. What was it about your relationship with him that developed during your All-Star years and the playoff years that gave you the comfort to reach out and text him, “Hey, I’d love to come back?”
AM: Bob has always been there for me. He was always like, “My phone line is always open no matter what you need.” And we would talk. Not necessarily much to do with the game of baseball, but it helped me to talk to him on more of a personal level. He’s been amazing to me and amazing to my family. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to take care of them the way I’ve been able to take care of them. I’ll forever be appreciative for what he’s done, and I’m going to do everything I can to help this club.
The 2024 Pirates were in contention through the end of July. Despite the team enduring a tough month of August that knocked them out of the race, do you feel like the Pirates are closer to making the playoffs than some folks may think?
AM: Yeah, definitely. I think we’re really close. The reason I say that is because we’ve played the good teams really well over the past couple of years. We do a really good job against those teams. And when we do that, it lets me know that we’re capable of winning more. We just have to be more consistent. Execute when we need to execute. Make the big pitch when we need to make the big pitch. Make the plays when we need to make the plays. If we can do that, we’ll have more opportunities to win games. Those small things, things you can control, can go a long way.
What is your motivation to continue to play deep into your thirties? How would you describe your desire to compete and win at this point?
AM: Going into 2025, I feel like there’s still more in the tank. There’s still that fire burning inside me to be the best player that I know I can be. I’m 38 years old and I haven’t been to the All-Star game since 2015. At that point, I had been to the All-Star Game five years in a row, and I felt like that was always going to be the case. It’s been a while, but I feel like that All-Star player is still in there. On top of that is wanting to win a championship, which like I said before is, of course, always the ultimate goal. So I’m excited and motivated in those ways.