Wednesday marks an important date in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On June 7, 2005, a draft pick was made that changed the fortunes of the franchise.
The player’s name was Andrew McCutchen.
McCutchen made his MLB debut in 2009 and quickly became a staple in the Pirates organization.
He was the star that the team built around for their string of winning seasons from 2013-15.
Pittsburgh reached the postseason in all three of those seasons as a Wild Card team.
On Twitter, the Pirates posted a picture of a young McCutchen before his MLB debut to celebrate the anniversary of his draft day.
On June 7, 2005, we drafted Andrew McCutchen. The rest is history. pic.twitter.com/M0BPQTzZLV
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 7, 2023
McCutchen has spent the vast majority of his career with the Pirates.
He made brief stops with the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers before returning to Pittsburgh.
The veteran slugger and outfielder earned National League MVP honors in 2013.
The 36-year-old is also a five-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger, and a former Gold Glover.
McCutchen re-signed with the Pirates this past offseason on a one-year contract.
He spent the first nine seasons of his career with the team.
The 36-year-old’s best season came in 2012, when he hit for a career-high .327 average and crushed 31 home runs, which was also a career-best.
He picked up 194 hits and also drove in 96 runs.
But McCutchen has become a fixture in a Pirates uniform.
He is well loved by the fans and the organization and is the first player many fans think of when concerning the Pirates.
This season, he is hitting .268 with eight home runs.
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