Expect Snubbed Andrew McCutchen To Star in NL Wild Card

Sep 27, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates fans hold up a sign of center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

As Andrew McCutchen goes, so goes the success of the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Postseason play.  And tonight at a blacked out PNC Park,  Andrew McCutchen will have his national stage.  Andrew McCutchen has been the Pirates version of a voodoo doll this year, getting pierced with fastballs by random pitchers with ill intentions.

Major League Baseball did nothing to address the situation as they did in similar cases with lower profile players.  Major League Baseball’s NL  MVP was intentionally drilled.  MLB did nothing about it.  It was an interesting decision because the Pirates franchise reaches a demographic MLB usually swings and misses on.

Aug 2, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts after getting hit with a pitch in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight the soft spoken, McCutchen can continue his vengeance.  You can bet that on the National League Wild Card stage, Cutch will show baseball that he and his small market Bucs are just fine without the help.  In front of an amped up baseball town tonight, the reigning National League MVP will have the stage on which he so often thrives .  Pittsburgh knows that Cutch is a superstar.  Tonight McCutchen gets to show the world again.

It’s the worst nightmare for the National League top seeded Washington Nationals.   The dynamic center fielder, who could one day be a fantastic politician, owns D.C. as he has put up a .363/420/.588 triple slash against Nats pitching including two homers off Jordan Zimmerman.

Andrew McCutchen will hit lead off in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.

Few people realize that for the third straight year, McCutchen has had a monster offensive season by pulling a triple split of at least 300/400/900.  He did it while playing through a fractured rib.  Only one other center fielder has done that in history.  Mickey Mantle.

After an MVP season, Cutch didn’t let up when the Bucs, who made no substantial upgrades offensively, needed their star most.  In 2013, the Pirates were in the postseason for the first time since The Cosby Show was on in prime time.   The Buccos star asked fans to #BlackOut PNC Park.  It was pure insanity.  The fans wanted to see McCutchen’s Bucs deliver something that had thirsted for so desperately.

Their star didn’t let them down.

In the National League Division Series, he was again the catalyst as his Bucs shook off a 9-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in game one, to take a 2-1 series lead.  But when he went hitless in game four and five, the Pirates made their exit from Major League Baseball’s biggest stage.

With another MVP-eque season behind him, the bright lights shine once again in October tonight.  Expect McCutchen to be the star of the show.  The Pirates plans for a trip to Washington, DC depend on it.

We are declaring it Andrew McCutchen Night at PNC Park.  There won’t be a bobblehead, but there should be plenty of fireworks.

Andrew McCutchen postseason stats