Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen and Opening Day

Baseball fans across the United States are eagerly anticipating the start of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. As always Opening Day promises to be a thrilling day and should be a National Holiday. The Pittsburgh Pirates will face off against the Cincinnati Reds in their first game of the season. Fans will be keeping a close eye on Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller, who is expected to take the mound against Reds pitcher Hunter Greene. Greene is developing into the next ace in the National League Central while Keller looks to continue his impressive 2nd half from 2022.

Pirates fans are especially excited to see Mitch Keller in action, as he has been a player that fans have been waiting to take that next step. His performance on Opening Day will set the tone for the rest of the season, and fans are eagerly anticipating seeing what he can do against the division rival Reds. Keller has pitched 22 total innings at Great American Ball Park, his ERA in those innings is not good being just over 8.

In addition to the excitement surrounding the game itself, many fans are also looking forward to seeing former Pirates star Andrew McCutchen return to the field. McCutchen played for the Pirates for nearly a decade and was an integral part of the team's success during that time. Cutch actually was a part of the Pittsburgh Pirates promotional video for Opening Day:

Andrew McCutchen Summarizes what Opening Day and being a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates means to him.

This is why fans were so excited about the team resigning the former MVP. He is so passionate about the city, the culture that comes with it, he gets this fan base. He takes pride in his work on the field but has always shown his compassion for his time through words. A few years back he wrote a Goodbye letter via The Players-Tribune, a spot for pro athletes to share. It is exciting that it is Opening Day, but it is even more exciting to have Andrew McCutchen be a part of it once again.