In Cutch We Trust

Pittsburgh Pirates fans know that Andrew McCutchen can play baseball. For the past few years, their star center fielder has dazzled them with circus catches, sprayed big hits to practically every spot in the ballpark, and come through in crunch-time situations game after game. It's no wonder they claim that "Cutch" is clutch.

Yet as talented as McCutchen is, his coming out party to the rest of the baseball world has only recently taken place. Being a member of the Pirates tends to have that unfortunate effect as of late. As perennial bottom-dwellers in the National League Central, the Pirates haven't finished with a winning record record in 19 years, a dubious honor to say the least. The Buccos almost broke that curse last year, in large part due to McCutchen, but following the All-Star break their pitching wasn't able to hold up, and the hitters simply weren't producing.

At long last it seems that 2012 is shaping up to be "the year" for the Pirates, knock on wood. And if that prediction does end up coming to fruition, Andrew McCutchen has most certainly led the charge. At the All-Star break, McCutchen's name appears in the top five of nearly every statistical category in the N.L. Allow me to take a minute to rattle off just a few: 1st in batting average, 1st in slugging %, second in hits, third in RBIs, third in OBP, third in runs, and fourth in home runs. Did I mention he's also stolen 14 bases? And that batting average? It doesn't just top the N.L. It leads all of Major League Baseball. Is there really a better candidate for Most Valuable Player?

Sure, there are obviously other worthy contenders like Joey Votto of the Reds or David Wright of the Mets, but if we really break down what the MVP award is all about, then McCutchen stands head and shoulders above everyone else as of now. He's simply more valuable to his team than any other player. Take, for instance, the amount of runs the Pirates have scored this year: 345. McCutchen is directly responsible for 118 of those runs, via RBIs and runs scored. One man is the driving force behind 34% of his entire team's offensive production, and that stat doesn't even factor in the hits or walks that move runners into scoring position, to be later driven into home by other players. If you can't hear the myriad of the Pirates' fan base screaming "M-V-P!" then that statistic should broadcast  that message loud and clear.

So the next time you see a Pirates highlight on ESPN, keep an eye out for Andrew McCutchen lurking in outfield. His trademark dredlocks make him an easy target to spot. That, or you could simply check out the box score. Whether he's getting hits, RBIs, home runs, or stolen bases, you can make a safe bet that his name will appear on that stat sheet. Long story short, without McCutchen the Pittsburgh Pirates wouldn't be playoff contenders, and they wouldn't be in line to eclipse a .500 record for the first time in nearly two decades. But, most importantly, they wouldn't be giving their fans and their organization a reason to believe that their team is capable of success.