Andrew McCutchen Claims Top Spot on All-Time 25, Victory Field Era Roster
Among the best players to ever step foot on the grass at the corner of West and Maryland in downtown Indianapolis, Andrew McCutchen’s rise and sustained success in the major leagues lands him as the top overall player on our All-Time 25, Victory Field era roster.
Among the best players to ever step foot on the grass at the corner of West and Maryland in downtown Indianapolis, Andrew McCutchen’s rise and sustained success in the major leagues lands him as the top overall player on our All-Time 25, Victory Field era roster.
After being selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (11th overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, it took just two years for McCutchen to rise from rookie ball to Triple-A. He made his Indianapolis debut on Aug. 17, 2007 and was a star from the beginning; he hit .313 in his first 17 games at the minors’ highest level.
McCutchen spent the full 2008 season roaming the Victory Field outfield. He finished the campaign – in which he was named to the International League midseason All-Star team and the Futures Game – with a team-leading .283 average, 145 hits, 75 runs scored and 68 walks, and tied for second in doubles (26) with Steve Pearce (No. 17 on the All-Time 25 Roster). His best month that season came in August when he hit .324 with an .824 OPS.
Despite the stellar season, the five-tool outfielder found himself in Indianapolis once again to start the 2009 season. It didn’t take long for his bat to heat up, and thanks to a streak of hitting safely in 17-of-20 games with a .368 average, nine extra-base hits, 11 RBI and 16 runs scored, McCutchen finally earned a call from Pittsburgh and never looked back.
McCutchen finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting in his inaugural MLB campaign, beginning his rise as Pittsburgh’s beloved superstar. Two years later, he began his five-year run as an NL All-Star. Then in 2012, while leading the NL in hits (194) and tabbing a .997 fielding percentage, McCutchen snagged both NL Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards and finished in the top five in NL MVP voting for the first of four consecutive seasons.
With a .317 average, 38 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs, 84 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 2013, McCutchen broke through and was named NL MVP. The honor made him just the seventh former Indian in history to win an MVP award and the first since Hall of Famer Larry Walker in 1997.
Indianapolis Stats & Accolades
201 games, .291 AVG (227-for-780), 123 R, 40 2B, 11 3B, 14 HR, 75 RBI, 48 SB, .791 OPS
2008 International League midseason All-Star, 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game Top Star, 2008 Futures Game selection
MLB Stats & Accolades
1,617 games, .285 AVG (1,719-for-6,038), 974 R, 343 2B, 48 3B, 243 HR, 853 RBI, 191 SB, .854 OPS, 44.6 bWAR
2010 & 2012-13 Pittsburgh MLBPAA Heart & Hustle Award nominee, 2011-15 National League All-Star, 2012 MLB Home Run Derby participant, 2012 NL Gold Glove, 2012-15 NL Silver Slugger, 2013 NL MVP, 2015 Roberto Clemente Award, 7x NL Player of the Week, 4x NL Player of the Month
Click here to view the entire All-Time 25, Victory Field era roster.