Today: PIT Prospect Andrew McCutchen
Andrew McCutchen is a top-ranked outfield prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. A baseball prodigy who led all Florida high-schoolers with a .709 batting average (!) in his senior year, he was snapped up soon thereafter by the Pirates with their first pick in the 2005 draft, the 11th player taken overall (right in between Detroit's Cameron Maybin and Cincinnati's Jay Bruce.)
McCutchen adjusted to the pros very quickly. hitting near .300 in his rookie league test and swatting baseballs at a .346 clip in his first two weeks of low A right after the draft. He stepped up to A-ball in Hickory for his first full season as a pro, and put up numbers beyond most 19 year olds: .289/.354/.444 with 14 home runs in 453 at-bats.
In 2007 he blew through AA Altoona and was promoted to AAA Indianapolis, where he toils today waiting for a shot at the majors.
| Yr | Tm | Age | Lvl | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2005 | GCL Pirates | 18 | R | 45 | 158 | 36 | 47 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 13 | 1 | 29 | 24 | .297 | .411 | .430 | .841 |
| 2005 | Williamsport | 18 | A- | 13 | 52 | 12 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | .346 | .443 | .442 | .885 |
| 2006 | Hickory | 19 | A | 114 | 453 | 77 | 131 | 20 | 4 | 14 | 62 | 22 | 7 | 42 | 90 | .289 | .354 | .444 | .798 |
| 2006 | Altoona | 19 | AA | 20 | 78 | 12 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 20 | .308 | .379 | .474 | .853 |
| 2007 | Altoona | 20 | AA | 118 | 446 | 70 | 115 | 20 | 3 | 10 | 48 | 17 | 1 | 44 | 83 | .258 | .327 | .383 | .710 |
| 2007 | Indianapolis | 20 | AAA | 17 | 67 | 7 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | .313 | .347 | .418 | .765 |
McCutchen is a strong all-around athlete with a quick bat from the right side and a great batting eye that keeps his strikeout numbers very low for a young player. He's got gap power with just enough loft to park some in the seats, but he's also so quick on the bases that he can beat out infield singles. He has an average arm but plus range, which is a fine mix for center field. His size will limit his power, but his baserunning should actually improve as he picks up more skill to go along with his raw speed. He projects as a quality leadoff or number two hitter in Pittsburgh very soon.
Update: while McCutchen waits for the Pirates to fully embrace their future by moving veterans to make a place for him, he's continuing to put up solid numbers, biding his time at Indianapolis with a fine .289/.377/.446 Spring. He should be in the big city before the year is up. He's likely to hold down center field for the next decade or so, though of course his numbers will be crippled a bit by the park and lineup he'll be working with.
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