From Florida to Bucs, McCutchen shined bright
Reigning NL MVP Award winner was standout in high school -- and not just in baseball
Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pirates
Hometown: Fort Meade, Fla.
Andrew McCutchen showcases his athleticism often in center field these days, but he also did so growing up a three-sport athlete at Fort Meade High School. While there, he performed on the gridiron and the track, as well as the baseball diamond.
McCutchen was tagged as one of the top 200 football players in the state as a sophomore. On the track, he was part of a 4x100-meter relay team which won a state title when he was a freshman.
But baseball is obviously where the reigning National League MVP Award winner excelled the most. During his senior year of high school, McCutchen hit .709 with 16 homers and 42 RBIs. He was named the 2005 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Florida, and Baseball America called him the third-best five-tool talent coming out of high school that year.
The Pirates took McCutchen 11th overall in that year's First-Year Player Draft, and he signed with the Bucs, choosing the professional path over the University of Florida.