Andrew McCutchen Putting Up MVP Numbers for Pirates

Last March, the perennial doormat Pittsburgh Pirates had an epiphany.  They finally realized after 20 straight seasons of finishing under .500 that they actually needed to spend some money and build a team around a core group of players instead of becoming a de facto farm team for everyone else.  So, they signed 25 year old center fielder Andrew McCutchen to a 6 year $51.5 million contract extension. 

They’re certainly glad they did.  Through games of July 15th, McCutchen is leading the National League in hitting with a .371 batting average, is second in home runs with 21, and is tied for second in RBIs with 64.  He’s among the leaders in several other categories as well.  McCutchen is being mentioned as a strong candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, and if he continues to produce at his current level, he’s likely to win the award.

McCutchen is the star on offense, but the Pirates have been getting it done with pitching, too.  Veteran A.J. Burnett looked like crap the last two years with the Yankees, but he’s 10-3 with a 3.78 ERA this year with the Pirates.  James McDonald is 9-3 with a 2.59 ERA.  The bullpen is in good shape with setup man Jason Grilli and All Star closer Joel Hanrahan.  The Pirates are 49-39 as of July 15th, just one game behind the Cincinnati Reds.