Andrew McCutchen

2013

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2012

McCutchen went big in 2011, setting career-highs in homers (23) and RBI (89). Unfortunately, the strikeouts increased from 89 to 126 as he added power to his repertoire. He finished with a .259 batting average after a second-half slump saw him compile a .227/.336/.416 line in 185 at-bats the last two months of the season. He stole 23 bases in 33 attempts based on sheer speed but lacks the base-stealing instincts to double those numbers. It's pretty safe to pencil in another 20/20 campaign for McCutchen in 2012. At 25, he's still working on different aspects of the game and if he puts it all together, look out, because Cutch hasn't yet peaked.

2011

When it comes to fantasy prowess, McCutchen represents the best Pittsburgh has to offer. In his first full season at the big league level, McCutchen put up a composite line of .286/.365/.449 with 16 homers and 56 RBI. He also finished 12th in the NL with 94 runs scored and fifth with 33 stolen bases (in 43 tries). The 24-year-old center fielder shows a decent eye at the plate (70:87 BB:K ratio), but tries to pull everything during slumps. His BABIP of .311 was strangely low, given his fantastic speed. There was talk that he played through a knee injury for much of the season, meaning that a healthy McCutchen might even do better in 2011.

2010

McCutchen made a statement with his rookie season in 2009, putting up marks of .286/.365/.471 while hitting 12 homers with 22 steals in 108 games. He showed a flair for the dramatic with a three-homer game and a walk-off dinger, becoming the heart and soul of the team despite not coming up from Triple-A until June 4. The Pirates will eventually move him down from first to third in the order, giving him an opportunity for more RBI. There's always a chance for a second-year letdown, but McCutchen is the real deal and is one of the Bucs' best prospects since Barry Bonds. The combination of McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez figures to get its first look at some point in 2010. At 22, McCutchen's keeper value may even be higher than what fantasy owners can expect in the coming season.

2009

McCutchen seems older than 22 if only because he's been touted as a star since being drafted in 2005. One of the youngest players at Triple-A last season, McCutchen hit an uninspired .283 with nine home runs and 50 RBI in 512 at-bats. To his credit, he did attempt a career-high 53 stolen bases, successfully nabbing 34, and improved his BB:K ratio from 48:94 to 68:87. Pittsburgh has handled McCutchen with kid gloves, keeping him away from winter ball in the offseason to give him some additional rest. At some point, the organization needs to find out what it has in him, especially with Nate McLouth as the team's only other entrenched outfielder. Expect to see McCutchen in the majors after the arbitration clock passes another year in 2009.

2008

McCutchen got his first taste of cold-weather baseball in 2007, and the results were not pretty. Playing in the Pennsylvanian mountains of Altoona, the outfielder struggled for the first time in his professional career. McCutchen, Pittsburgh's No. 1 pick in 2005, batted .214 the first two months of the season. He warmed up after that, however, finishing with a .258 Double-A batting average before hitting .313 in 67 Triple-A at-bats. Still just 21, McCutchen figures to start the 2008 campaign with Triple-A Indianapolis. If he does make the majors this summer, his biggest fantasy impact figures to be on the basepaths, where he stole 21 bases last year. Eventually he'll also hit for power, but he went deep just 11 times in 2007, including an inside-the-park job.

2007

McCutchen is the most highly touted prospect in the Pirates organization. He has demonstrated both power and speed in the low minors since being selected with Pittsburgh's No. 1 pick in 2005. Playing primarily for High-A Hickory, McCutchen batted .291 with 14 homers, 62 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 114 games. As a reward, the speedy center fielder was promoted to Double-A Altoona where he hit .308 with three dingers and 12 RBI in 78 at-bats. Generously listed as 5-foot-11, 170, McCutchen will likely start 2007 with Altoona. Should he continue to produce at the higher levels of minor-league play, it would not be surprising to see McCutchen called up mid-season. More likely he'll make his major-league debut in September, but stranger things have happened.

2006

McCutchen, 19, got off to a great minor league start last summer after the Pirates chose him with their No. 1 pick in June. Compared with the likes of Marquis Grissom, McCutchen hit a combined .310 (65-for-210) between Rookie ball and A-ball. The wiry-framed outfielder, who hit a pair of homers and stole 17 bases last year, will likely hone his game for Low-A Hickory in 2006. It wouldn't be surprising to see him end up at Double-A level with another strong season, however.