The Fascinating Legacy of Andrew McCutchen

He was the symbol of Pittsburgh’s renaissance — and now, of its futility. Where does that leave his career?

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a run during the game between the Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies on May 16th, 2025. (Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For those of us who recall the decades-long struggles of the post-Barry Bonds Pittsburgh Pirates, the sight of Andrew McCutchen wearing No. 22 in yellow and black, hitting high in the Buccos’ batting order like old times, brings back fond memories of the Steel City’s baseball renaissance in the early 2010s. And McCutchen is no ceremonial figure in the Pirates’ lineup, either, since returning to town for the 2023 season. He plays just about every day, and he has a 107 OPS+, second only to hard-hitting Oneil Cruz among Pittsburgh regulars.

There’s only one thing keeping McCutchen’s recent reunion with Pittsburgh from taking on more of a storybook tone: The Pirates stink.

At 19-35 heading into Monday night’s contest in Arizona, the Bucs are last in the NL Central, on pace for 65.5 wins with effectively no playoff probability. It’s shaping up to be the worst Pirates season since 2022, the year before McCutchen’s return, and an especially disappointing one considering Pittsburgh had some potential to break out behind the likes of Cruz and super-ace Paul Skenes. Now the season is lost; Skenes trade chatter is an actual thing; and then there’s McCutchen — still starting, hitting and trying to bring some kind of spark to the team he once helped carry out of a multi-decade postseason drought.

What does a career like this mean? What do we do with a star who gave his all to a team, left in search of a ring, and then came back to town — only to end up right where he started, losing plenty despite his production?