Andrew McCutchen: Thoughts?

by samjjones on Mar 18, 2008 12:41 PM EDT

Pirates optioned McCutchen, Pearce, Bullington, and others yesterday. While expected, I'm wondering if McCutchen will develop into the impact player that many people are expecting of him.

Or, will he simply be a right handed hitting version of Mark Kotsay?

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

ahaha

you don't care about mccutchen, you just want to see your new avatar on the front page.

by wily mo on Mar 18, 2008 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

i don't know about an impact player, but he will be a solid regular. he is still very young and people need to just give him some time. he will be an above average centerfielder that will hit .290 with 15-20 homers and 25 steals. no problem with that. the only thing that may make mccutchen look like a disappointment is that he will be in the same division as jay bruce and colby rasmus b/c i don't think he will be as good as those two even though he was drafted ahead of both.

by fewgoodcards on Mar 18, 2008 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

man

I really don't like this layout. Anyway, McCutch is the next Kenny Lofton.

"The Dodgers won't win a playoff series until the Cool-a-Coo returns." -mckeeno

by PujolsJunkie on Mar 18, 2008 1:32 PM EDT reply actions

He's 21

And the Pirates kicked him around a few levels too early. Give him a season in Triple-A, and if he continues to put up the same numbers, then we can panic.

by David Tokarz on Mar 18, 2008 1:43 PM EDT reply actions

He skipped one level

last year - until then, he played at age level. I agree with fewgoodcards - he's a good player but I don't see him becoming a star of any kind. I think he's probably going to be slightly but not significantly better than Mark Kotsay

by OldProspects on Mar 18, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Health included?

With Kotsay, that's the big red flag. If we're talking Kotsay healthy (during 2001, 2002 and 2004), then maybe that's fair.

by David Tokarz on Mar 18, 2008 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he will be an impact player

but I don't think he will be much of fantasy player. I think McCutchen will end up being one of those players with little peak but a long period of consistent play. Among his top PECOTA comps are Lastings Milledge, Grady Sizemore, Vernon Wells, and Rocco Baldelli.

My comps for him on the high end are Chet Lemon, Gary Matthews Sr.
The Middle being Devon White, Chad Curtis
Low end being 5th outfielders like Reggie Ambercrombie or Curtis Pride

by Trenchtown on Mar 18, 2008 2:33 PM EDT reply actions

McCutchen

I am very high on McCutch. To be brief, I think he could be a slightly better version of Johnny Damon. To be long about it, I think most years he will perform along the lines of a Roy White or a Chet Lemon, with Marquis Grissom as a floor and perhaps Bobby Murcer as a ceiling. A very nice power/speed player who helps in all facets of the game. In the long run, I think the question about Cutch will be whether he goes to the Hall of Very Good or the Hall of Fame.

Why? I base this on pure instinct.

by GuyinNY on Mar 18, 2008 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

Interesting comps

"Marquis Grissom as a floor"

I bet the Pirates would take that, because Grissom was a helluva a player for a while in the early 90's.

by samjjones on Mar 19, 2008 7:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Indeed

Marquis Grissom was really a very underrated player through the course of his career. In retrospect, I should have qualified that statement with "shy of total busthood". That having been said, I do believe Cutch should be a terrific power/speed player who we someday wind up comparing people to the way we say a "Mark Grace" first baseman. I should qualify that with a "because as far as I know, that sort of player doesn't really have a 1 player quantification". Therein lies his future :

Andrew McCutchen : Future archetype CF.

EDIT : I wish I could edit posts, and does anybody know how to do that?

by GuyinNY on Mar 19, 2008 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Andrew

Saw him hit a BOMB off Boof Bonser today at the minor league camp. I guess he was taking his anger out on good ole Boof. It went over the left field fence

by Jeff Sully on Mar 18, 2008 8:15 PM EDT reply actions

Too many in AAA

The Pirates will have McCutchen, Steve Pearce, and probably Nyjer Morgan in AAA (McClouth looks to have beaten Morgan for the CF job). Where does Chris Duffy go? A trade needs to happen in that organization soon.

by Robinson Checo on Mar 18, 2008 11:51 PM EDT reply actions

I thought I was the only one...

You know, this is the first time I've heard other people talk about McCutchen the way I've felt about him. I can't see the stardom - rather the "Stud"dom. I've seen him play a few times, but his power only seems to run down the lines. I like his speed. He looks to be a good fielder. I think he'll hold his own in the Bigs, but I don't see much beyond a "good" player...
...and I thought I was the only one...

by stonersports on Mar 19, 2008 8:43 PM EDT reply actions