Often when a veteran player returns to the team that gave them their start, many see it as the beginning of the end. The sun is setting on their career, and one last hurrah with the home team will encapsulate their legacy once and for all.
Pittsburgh Pirates centerfield Andrew McCutchen is not one of those people, and the last thing he wants is your sympathy.
“I want to win. Specifically, I want to win here,” said a motivated McCutchen during his introductory press conference that saw the centerfielder welcomed back to Pittsburgh with open arms. No longer the blazing quick, dreadlocked perennial MVP candidate, Andrew comes back as a veteran whose on field production may have slipped but his clubhouse presence has remained bigger than ever.
Cutch Returns, So Does the Winning
So far, the Pirates are 9-7 in the NL Central and winning at a higher rate than they have in quite some time. So, Cutch’s presence on the field is being felt.
McCutchen has played for five different teams since being traded in 2017 and was without question considered a leader on each of them. Now back in black, there is a new task at hand; show the young bros how it’s done.
McCutchen has done just that out the gate, hitting .298 with three doubles, two home runs and a .916 OPS in 61 plate appearances.
Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes didn’t hide his excitement about bringing Cutch back into the fold. “To be able to bring somebody like that, who won an MVP and Silver Slugger Awards, He was the leader of the Pirates from the time when I signed here, just to bring a guy like that back into the clubhouse is awesome… I didn’t get to see him when I was coming up and picking his brain about how to win because he was able to win while he was here.”
It seems as if the two MLBbros are already in sync, as McCutchen echoed that sentiment when asked about mentoring both Hayes and 2022 first-rounder Termarr Johnson, another young MLBbro who will be a prominent figure in any winning that takes place in Pittsburgh.
Andrew McCutchen on how he can relate to 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes and 2022 first-rounder Termarr Johnson and his message to the Pirates. pic.twitter.com/fbdWk6JoTC
“I’m looking forward to being able to not only talk to them but to be a voice for the way things work, the way we did things when I was here,” said McCutchen when asked about his role in mentoring the two young Pirates. “Not necessarily saying, ‘This is the right way.’ Things change, and you evolve. But I want them to understanding (that) winning here wasn’t that long ago, and I was a part of it. So I know what it feels like.”
McCutchen Took Pirates From MLB’s Saigon To Playoff Sexy
In 2013, a young Cutch was a catalyst for a young Pirates team that ended the franchises 20-year streak of consecutive losing seasons. The then 26-year-old hit .314 with 21 home runs, 84 RBI, 27 stolen bases while scoring 97 runs and posting an OPS of .952. This was good enough for Andrew to become the first Pittsburgh Pirate to win National League MVP since The God Barry Bonds won back-to-back awards in 91-92.
From 2011 to 2015, McCutchen was on another level, hitting .302 with 123 home runs, 175 doubles and a .905 OPS enroute to five consecutive All Star appearances along with four Silver Slugger Awards. During that period, he carried the franchise on his back and was at the peak of his illustrious career. Now, he returns as a hero of a golden era in Pirates’ history, with a goal to mentor the next generation while showing them how to grind and work as a professional over 162 games.
If Andrew is able to aide this young group of talent Black players back to a competitive playoff level, his legacy in Pittsburgh will grow even more.
The 2021 MLB Draft produced five promising first-round Bros. It was a huge improvement over past drafts and indicated an upswing in the Black talent pipeline that baseball has been trying to resuscitate.
The 2022 Draft was a different beast. And a watershed moment for the MLBbro community. The draft featured a significant amount of Black players taken in the first round. This was not only exciting for Major League Baseball, but it further advanced the new era in which an emphasis has been placed on Black players once again impacting America’s pastime.
Former Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia is a former MLBbro, one of the last two Black Aces (Black pitchers to win 20 games), along with David Price. The Melanated Mound Marauder is totally enjoying the recent uprising in exposure of Black and brown players, especially with his son Carsten Sabathia about to embark on his college career at Georgia Tech.
CC Sabathia and NBA icon Lebron James have partnered together to produce a two-part docu series that will cover the pre-draft process of some future MLBbros that were drafted in 2022 and one whose future is yet to be determined.
The series will be titled ‘New Wave: Baseball’s Next Generation.’
However, the docu series will follow four of those Black players; Termarr Johnson and Justin Crawford, who are currently in the minor leagues. Also, Jayson Jones and RJ Austin, both of whom elected to go to college. It should be noted that Justin Crawford has MLB pedigree being the son of former All-Star Carl Crawford, and the cousin of MLBbro J.P. Crawford. Not only will it highlight these four stellar young players but it will shed light on a monumental draft.
MLB Diversity Programs Advancing The Game
Major League baseball, to its credit, has been making strides to address the decline of the Black MLB player in the past two decades. Sabathia, along with his wife Amber, wanted to share the stories of these four Black athletes, along with their successes and failures and challenges encountered as they strive towards this ultimate goal in their career paths.
These four players, and their documented stories will help provide an in-depth look at the journey of a Baby Bros trying to break through in a league where less than 7 percent of the rosters have MLBbros.
Seeing these talented ballers go through the steps towards MLB excellence could undoubtedly inspire more representation for young Black kids around the nation. This series will shed light on two players that are on the fast track to stardom, while also showing the different paths that players take on the road to MLB.
The MLB Draft began on Sunday, and there were five African-American players chosen in the top 18 picks. Kumar Rocker (Rangers), Termarr Johnson (Pirates), Elijah Green (Nationals), Justin Crawford (Phillies), Cam Collier (Reds). That’s a huge shot in the arm for MLB baseball, where less than 7.7 percent of its players are African-American.
Rocker Taken At No.3 Is A Huge Surprise:
Heading into Sunday’s draft, Kumar Rocker was the 38th-ranked prospect. After being chosen No.10 in last year’s draft by the Mets, Rocker and the team couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract. Instead of returning to Vanderbilt, Rocker opted to work out and prepare for this year’s draft. Safe to say; betting on himself and not returning to college was the right move. Now Rocker will be the projected future “ACE,” of the Texas Rangers’ staff.
Pirates Take Termarr Johnson: They Have Coveted Him
With the No.4 pick the Pittsburgh Pirates opted for the smooth hitting infielder Termarr Johnson, an 18-year-old from Mays H.S. in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Pirates were long rumored to be high on Johnson and many believed the struggling franchise would take him if he was available with the fourth pick. Well, that happened and Johnson’s value as a hitter is what makes him a top prospect. That along with his supreme confidence.
Pirates GM Ben Cherington had this to say about Johnson:
“He’s a confident young man. He should be. He’s talented. He’s the fourth overall pick in the country. He should be confident. He needs to be confident to be a big leaguer. This is someone who worked really hard, too. He’s humble, he wants to get better every day. So it’s a nice combination.”
Nationals Land Elijah Green At No.5: Will They Be Able To Keep This Homegrown Talent?
The Nationals have had many of their homegrown stars depart, first it was Bryce Harper, then it was Anthony Rendon. Now with superstar Juan Soto rejecting a 15-year, $440 million deal, rumors are he’ll be traded.
Enter Elijah Green, a player who could be a generational talent like Harper and Soto. Green the IMG Academy prospect has all the tools to be a superstar. Standing 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he’s got great speed and power. Despite his larger frame, Green projects as a center fielder.
An excited Green had this to say via zoom call.
“This was always one of the goals of my life. To be called by the Washington Nationals is truly a blessing. I’m going to go out there, work hard and hopefully bring a championship back to Washington.”
Phillies Get Justin Crawford: He Has MLB Pedigree
The Philadelphia Phillies went with Bishop Gorman star Justin Crawford with the No.17 pick. Crawford is a blend of speed and strength, just like his dad, former MLB outfielder Carl Crawford.
Phillies scouting director, Brian Barber was excited to land Crawford in that spot, but was also quick to acknowledge that the younger Crawford is more advanced at this stage of his development than dad was.
“There are a lot of differences in their game. Justin Crawford is more advanced defensively at this stage than his father as well.
“No doubt I think he’s going to be an elite defensive center fielder in the future.”
Cam Collier To The Reds: Are He And Hunter Greene The Future In Cincy?
Originally a class of 2023 prospect, Cam Collier reclassified to the class of 2022. Collier stands 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds. He’s a freak of nature by athletic standards. Collier is just 17 years old and should be a high school junior as of now, he’s the youngest hitter in the draft.
“He should be a high school junior right now. He reclassified to go to junior college and really challenge himself. We haven’t seen someone of his age do that since Bryce Harper did. A really advanced hitter, who’s been around the game his whole life.”
Collier is the son of former major league leader Lou Collier and he’s the first junior college bat taken in the first round since the Chicago White Sox Tim Anderson. Collier will join Reds pitcher Hunter Greene as the future cornerstone pieces in Cincy.
Three Black players were selected in the first five picks of the 2022 MLB Draft. Kumar Rocker (Rangers) was selected No.3 overall. Termarr Johnson (Pirates) was pick No.4 and Elijah Green (Nationals) completed the Top 5 selections.
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