Andrew McCutchen

Full Name: Andrew Stefan McCutchen	Current Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Height/Weight: 5'11"/175	Number: 22
Birthdate: October 10, 1986	Entry Draft:
Birthplace: Fort Meade, Florida	Drafted By:
Position: CF	College: N/A

Rate this Player

2.75

(4 votes)

1 Biography
2 Transactions
3 Statistics
4 Awards and Accomplishments
5 Video Gallery
6 Picture Gallery
7 See Also
- 7.1 Web Directory
- 7.2 Recent Andrew McCutchen ArmchairGM Stories
8 Categories

[edit] Biography

Andrew McCutchen was the Pittsburgh Pirates first round draft choice in 2005 out of Ft. Meade High School in, of all places, Ft. Meade, Florida. A 5'11" 170 pound outfielder, McCutchen was a multi sport star in high school, earning All-County honors in football, baseball, cross country and track and field. Rated by Baseball America as the top Florida high school player in the 2005 draft, and third in the country. McCutchen earned AFLAC All-American status in 2004 and was named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year for Florida in 2005, after hitting .709/16/42 as a senior.

In 2006, McCutchen was named Pittsburgh's Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .294/17/74 with 23 stolen bases between Class A Hickory and Double A Altoona. His appearance in the Eastern League made him the youngest player in the league and also the youngest in Altoona franchise history at 19 years, 10 months. Following the 2006 season, Baseball America rated him the best defensive outfielder, as having the best strike zone discipline, and fastest runner in the Pittsburgh organization.

McCutchen again was assigned to Altoona to begin the 2007 season, and after a slow start, rebounded to finish at .258/10/48, with 17 stolen bases in 18 attempts. Promoted to Triple A Indianapolis, he finished the season hitting .313 in 17 games. The thirteenth overall prospect going into the 2007 season, McCutchen projects as a Gold Glove caliber center fielder with a plus arm and plus speed and instincts. Offensively, McCutchen has a powerful upper body, and combined with quick hands and his already above average strike zone recognition, projects to hit for both a high average and with escalating power. A right-handed hitter timed at 4.1 seconds from home to first, he projects early in his career as a leadoff hitter with the potential to steal thirty bases plus.

His slow start this year could be attributed in part to the Pirates attempt at McCutchen hitting third. Playing in Altoona's large park in a league known for its pitching likely contributed to an increase in strikeouts and an alarming trend of trying to pull everything. After hitting .202 in June, McCutchen returned to the leadoff spot and hit well over .300 the second half.