North Shore Nine

On 4/14/24, in the top of the 9th with one on and one out, Andrew McCutchen became the newest member of the 300 home run club. He becomes just the 160th person in MLB history to accomplish the feat. When you add his other milestone numbers—over 2000 hits, over 1000 runs, over 1000 RBI—he joins a club with only 96 other members. This milestone has also brought up credentials for a potential entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Andrew McCutchen has had a great career to date, but is it a HOF-worthy career? The stats give a small indication.

What the statistics show is that McCutchen is on the outside looking in for the HOF. Even if he is able to have a statistical season this year like he had last year, and then the same again next year, he would still be under the average in a few of the major counting categories. In his first seven years, he went to 5 All-Star games, won 4 Silver Sluggers, and an MVP award. During that stretch, he also put up 77.5% of his career WAR. His best year after that stretch was his last year in Pittsburgh when he hit .279/.363/.486 with .849 OPS, 28 home runs, and a 3 WAR. This short window of brilliance, even with his longevity, sadly isn’t enough to get him elected to the HOF.
The last five outfielders over the last ten years who were elected are, Larry Walker, Harold Baines, Vladimir Guerrero, Tim Raines, and Ken Griffey Jr. Below is a comparison of them to Cutch. As you can see, McCutchen does not stand up well to these other players. The only argument that can be easily made would be comparing him to Harold Baines. That, with roughly 25% more at-bats than McCutchen, his numbers could have been worse or much similar. That being said, there are a few who do not think Baines should be in the HOF anyway, but that is a different discussion.

At the end of the day, Andrew McCutchen is not a HOF player. Even if he played two more injury-free seasons after the 2024 season (which he could do) it is unlikely it would grab him enough counting statistics to turn the tide. It would likely put him over the HOF average for Runs, Hits, and RBIs but it would likely also take away from his BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS. It would also potentially be seen by some HOF voters as a stat grab, which it wouldn’t be, but voters are fickle in the best of years. Sadly, the numbers are just not there to get Andrew McCutchen into Cooperstown.

But the numbers do not tell the tale of Andrew McCutchen and what he has meant to the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization, fanbase, and community. When it is time, he will easily be voted into the Pirate Hall of Fame. Furthermore, what he has done for the community far outshines what he has done on the field, whether that be direct or indirect. Many fans will remember what he did for the team during those playoff runs. Many will remember how wrecked they were when he was traded to San Fransisco. Many more will remember his triumphant return to Pittsburgh and the standing ovation he got on Opening Day 2023. He may never be recognized in Cooperstown as a Hall of Famer, but where it matters—in the City of Pittsburgh and its surrounding counties—he is much more than a Hall of Famer for the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he is a Legend.