Why Andrew McCutchen Should Be a Hall of Famer

[@FoolishBaseball]

Furries

[@StarkRavingSports]

real

[@benzene15]

Beat me to it Bailey

[@devonktb]

😂

[@EmeraldXMusic]

Correct

[@dogmanandborisproductions]

Rel.

[@Prunesquallor]

I'm a massive Joe Mauer fan and thought he'd make the Hall eventually, but I think the character clause might be why he ended up a first ballot Hall of Famer. That gives me some hope for Cutch.

[@bryantsteury8910]

I think they both deserve it for the same reasons. The stats are right up to the threshold but not quite there. But who they are and what they've done SHOULD make them included into the endless fabric of baseball history. Like how we'd view it in 50 years

[@brandonladd149]

You did him justice. Thanks for putting this out

[@jacoby9765]

Perfect usage of Here We Go - Mac Miller instrumental as the background audio. 2 iconic Pittsburgh legends

[@collintice]

i thought that was what it was i wasnt sure tho

[@nomercyinc6783]

talking over background music is not good regardless of what the music is.

[@ng12511]

Cutch should 100 percent be in the hall. He is really, truly, a good person, and an amazing ball player. He has better stats than some HOFers and he is not done yet. He still has a chance for 300 home runs. He is a legend and deserves a plaque for sure.

[@Leafgreen1976]

He also has the chance to detract from his career numbers, remember that.

[@feefop9858]

He needs one HR for 300. If he doesn't get it, ban him from the Hall! Just kidding, obliviously he'll get it.

[@tmoney305]

If only there were furries at more of his games

[@ng12511]

@@Leafgreen1976 Fair, but he's also already inserted himself as a legend in Pirates history.

[@ng12511]

@@tmoney305 😂

[@michaelryan8510]

i met him when he was on the indianapolis indians and he is one of the best people ive ever seen. he even played catch with my father and i after the game while we were sitting in the grass (off the field not on) in the outfield after the game. got a signed jersey that im not selling until i die. one of the best people in baseball.

[@alexvincent4652]

Quick note on the furry ordeal. During last season’s furry convention games a furry was on the big screen before his AB. The furry was on the gateway clipper (a boat ride known by people in Pittsburgh). Yes he did in fact hit a HR

[@hatsunemikuvsyourdrunkuncl6364]

based

[@dropthatshi]

Cutch is the only thing Pirates fans have had to smile about in a loooooooong time. Love the guy he should be in the HOF based on vibes alone

[@tsua8061]

Vibes lmao FOH

[@sir.muffiniii7011]

@@tsua8061nah he right

[@gnielsen07]

@@sir.muffiniii7011Kenny lofton is a way better player and he didn’t come close to getting voted in

[@sir.muffiniii7011]

@@gnielsen07 and he 100% should be in the HOF

[@mikejanacone8328]

You also have to factor this in during McCutchen’s prime run with the Pirates from 09-17 only three of his teammates made the All-Star game during that run. Pedro Alvarez, 2013, Josh Harrison 2014,2017 Starling Marte in 2016 So he primarily had to carry the load during his run but for a legitimate Hall of Fame chance he needs to have a couple more good seasons and hopefully the Pirates can make deep postseason run With him, maybe doing a few magical things would help push him over the edge to be a Hall of Famer instead of just being very borderline right now

[@gnielsen07]

Cutch was a dominant player for 5 years (2011-2015). Rest of his career has been incredibly mid. Baseball hall of fame is very difficult to get in…

[@yuppieliberationfrontylf7398]

Preface: I agree. But, if Cutch is in, then Posey, Lofton, Utley, Hunter and Bernie Williams should all be in…. Winners, dominated entire era’s at their positions… they should all be in. I don’t see the voters going this way. That’s a big problem.

[@gamingsquad2326]

Posey And Utley will likely get in by the end of the decade and Lofton has a lot of support to where eventually I see him getting in

[@andrewcabacar7649]

I love the Mac Miller tracks in the back. Cutch is one of my fav players of all time, especially among favorite Andrews of all time lol. Hope he winds up in the hall one day

[@lorimeyers3839]

I agree. Saw Cutch take BP at CBP in 2012. He hit the ball on a line harder than anybody. Electric hands, electric speed, electric defense. MVP. Obviously many, especially the youngins, will remember him for his mediocrity in his declining years. But it was clear to me that Cutch was the best player on the field at the time. 3:55 lol, terrific at bat. The sequencing there is funny.

[@outrlmts1879]

Love that you dropped that Mac Miller instrumental in the middle of the vid. Very fitting since both Mac and McCutchen are Pittsburgh legends

[@drunkcreekerb]

I adore him and I am a Cubs fan. I think this is a valid thought! Clutch for HOF. LET'S GO!

[@brandonneumann5294]

Just put everybody in the hall of fame

[@sir.muffiniii7011]

@@brandonneumann5294that’s not what he’s saying lol

[@panzer622]

You don't have to convince me. I am not a Pirates fan, but I have followed his career. When his time to be in the HOF comes, send an updated version of this to all the sportswriters. And I agree, the good guys should get some consideration too. When you are on that fine line, that should be something that tips them over into the HOF.

[@arrsequoia4087]

Can’t wait to see a half dozen poorly made videos with nearly the same title. Because you make amazing content, bro. Truly.

[@sah4128]

Cutch essentially brought baseball back to Pittsburgh after some bad, bad years. He had a peak where he was truly one of the 5 best players in all of baseball. What he’s also meant to Pittsburgh and really baseball in general, off the field will also back up a HOF career

[@pittsburghbob69]

The fact that the Pirates got Bryan Reynolds in return when they traded Cutch should add the his credentials.

[@davidgraney3413]

You're 100% on here. He's a legend in the Burgh and I'd give him a H.O.F. vote if I had one.

[@filmonthemind]

This video was so good but with the subtle Mac Miller tracks in the background was *chefs kiss*

[@jaxonmontgomery1168]

This is the reason Ozzie should be in the hall. I've seen people say he is undeserving, but he was more than just his stats, he was a bigger person on and off the field.

[@TheOGSticks11]

Smith? Who says he shouldn't be? Best defender to grace any middle infield, .280 or so avg, 2,000 hits, 500 steals, beloved by most. He set the record for shortstops for assists and total chances. Unquestionably the greatest Shortstop of all time.

[@johnwayne9828]

​​@@TheOGSticks11younger fans obsessed with war seem to be the ones saying ozzie shouldn't be in. They're also the same fools who think a guy like brian giles should be a hall of famer because his war is 50.

[@TheHENpp]

@@johnwayne9828 the pendulum is eventually going to swing back the other way, and we'll start hearing people talk about how WAR was overvalued during this era.

[@noodler5583]

⁠@@johnwayne9828Ozzie Smith had a WAR over 70 so I’m pretty sure the younger, saber-metrics era fans would like him just as much as the old heads

[@johnwayne9828]

@@noodler5583 maybe I'm misremembering the reasoning. I watched a video on vizquel and compared him to ozzie. Mighta been overall stats instead of war that oz came up short. I still standby the modern fans obsessed with war.

[@Joshua-vn3zb]

Using Mac miller music was perfection my favorite album is faces too

[@salvadorveloz8218]

The Mac Miller music in the background tho makes this video more Pittsburgh legendary 🔥

[@jakecompton9699]

Such a great video. I think Cutch deserves to be in. He really carried those great Pirate teams of the early 2010s. Also appreciate you sticking with the Pittsburgh theme of the video with the Mac Miller instrumentals

[@VRNocturne]

I agree with you. If we can keep an objectively "should be in" player out because of character, we should also use it to put in an objectively "pretty dang good player for a long time" player in. It's both fair and logical to do so.

[@Mainybob]

Thank you for all the Mac Miller beats in the background on the kid from Pittsburg

[@VllBezZ]

yeah he should be in the hall of fame, the pittsburgh pirates hall of fame not baseball hall of fame

[@john670]

I don't know if you can tell the story of baseball without Cutch. What he did for the city to bring back winning baseball, and hes trying to do it again. And 4 straight top 5 MVP finishes with a win. And you have both counting stats (300 homers, 200 steals, 2000 hits) and the awards (MVP, silver slugger, gold glove, roberto clemente award, etc).

[@andrewmcquade9413]

I still wear my Uncle Larry shirt, loved him as a Phillie. The character clause should work for Jimmy Rollins too.

[@shoukatsukai]

McCutchen might get a little consideration. But since his career path is most similar to Fred Lynn I doubt he cracks more than 25%

[@EmmanuelPerez88]

I’m not going to lie, this actually kinda convinced me. It helps promote the genuinely good guys who were very good if just short of obvious hof numbers. Plenty of guys have gotten in with questionable totals already. But it would have to be special cases and cutch might be one

[@zr03f0rt7]

If Bernie Williams, Edmonds, and Jones can’t get in, I don’t see Cutch in.

[@slicedthree80_43]

All of them should be in the HOF. That’s just me though. HOF voting has always been a popularity contest tho

[@zr03f0rt7]

Definitely bud. Hell, even Damon has the counting stats plus 2 rings… dog and pony show all the way

[@JacobStewart-zq7gv]

I think he’s a hall of fame player, not just because he’s a nice guy but because he was a great player. But remember it’s the hall of fame, not the hall of morals

[@cargopilotguy305]

Then explain why Barry bonds isn’t in.

[@JacobStewart-zq7gv]

@@cargopilotguy305 I think Barry bonds should be in, like I said it’s not the hall of morals. I do think the voting is rigged, so I think we should just have a standard instead of a vote

[@gavincotter4996]

I feel like Dustin Pedroia also falls into this category especially with how his career ended

[@thunderstruck560]

He's very much a hall of very good.

[@nicrod5651]

100 percent, Scott rolen and Todd Helton also, never hall of fame material it’s almost a publicity thing now

[@saulgoodman8501]

​@nicrod5651 Todd Helton is literally the greatest player in rockies history and has the JAWS to go in as well. His batting metrics already put him at a likely hall of famer and there's also the fact that he should've won the 2000 MVP

[@princejellyfish3945]

@@saulgoodman8501 seriously Helton was nearly keeping up with a roided out Bonds from like 2000-03. In a just world he’s basically first ballot

[@bubblerman]

@@nicrod5651braindead take

[@saulgoodman8501]

@princejellyfish3945 Did bonds Roid in 2000? I was sure he didn't start until 2001 where he finally got tired of getting absolutely no attention.

[@AquaSteez]

faces background music? oh yeah!!!

[@hughjaass3787]

Using WAR, in any comparison is a joke, at best a theory, that I give zero credit for being a thing. But Cutch does deserve to be in HOF.

[@Walrus1701D]

So much agreed! I wish he’d been in Philly a little longer.

[@josiahhuddleson2702]

I think you accurately explained the thoughts and feelings of basically most baseball fans. Dude is a legend not just for his stats. He is similar to the Joe Mauer affect as well. Though Mauer did have elite numbers and awards.

[@Pirates4LIFE100]

Okay so I’m from Pgh so let me say this. People who aren’t from here have no idea what this man means to our city. Andrew McCutchen is the person who saved & brought the love of baseball back to Pittsburgh after 20 years of misery. He means so so much here. But I don’t think he’s a HOFer. Hall of “very good for a short time” From 12-15 he was an mvp finalist every year, including winning one. He was on pace to be in the hof, but just suddenly declined quicker than what was anticipated in 2016. He hasn’t been a superstar since 2015. So 2016-2023 just an average player who’s dealt w injuries that has caught up to him. we overrated (and rightfully so) him in Pittsburgh, but I don’t think he’s a HOFer.

[@draneym2003]

For what he did dragging the Pirates back to relevancy I agree. On a personal note, I moved to Pittsburgh in part due to the experience I had at the ballpark and I never would have visited if not for what Cutch did in building up that brand.

[@kubekua4510]

Anyone notice all the Mac miller songs in the background, two Pittsburgh legends

[@sporer_]

8:52 those player's weekend jerseys were SOOOO good. leave it to the MLB to take a great thing and completely ruin it (remember the awful black and white ones???) before dismissing it entirely

[@jarondenham2260]

You cannot tell the story of the Pittsburgh Pirates without discussing Andrew McCutchen. That alone should qualify.

[@Grey_Area]

I mean let's be honest, goldy deserves to have won that mvp over cutch, they just got to the postseason so the narrative favored him. Super borderline for the hall, but I respect the argument

[@potluck5896]

I know nothing about his stats, I just know that I've grown up my entire life knowing the name Andrew McCutchen. I'm a Mariners fan, not a Pirates fan. I have no affiliation with the team. But Cutch for sure deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

[@dogmanandborisproductions]

My favorite baseball player of all time and genuinely nice guy that brought my happiness back to pirates baseball. I love him but man idk about hof but great recognition.

[@pletch1314]

Pausing the video for why I think he's a solid HOF hopeful and then I'm excited to hear your arguments. He does everything well. Not 500 hr but 300 (soon) , not 500 steals but 200, over 1k walks, over 1k rbi, over 2k hits. He's likely to hit 50 WAR this season and he has accolades from his prime that are outstanding. Plus a gold glove just to prove he was an above average defender while also hitting like an mvp.

[@splitman1129]

He gave us hope when the pirate stunk for decades now.

[@seal3498]

Speaking of that 2013 pirates season could you do a video based on that season

[@AbogadodelaVerdad]

He used #22, the number after Clemente #21. He was supposed to be the Next great Pirate. He signed with other teams and then he returned. That was so bad. I agree he should be a HOF.

[@storyguy349]

He's the ultimate vibes guy

[@bryantsteury8910]

I think like Joe Mauer, cutch is one of those where pure stats may be "hall if very good" but when you combine it with his stewardship for the game and what he means for Pittsburgh, he's now in. If we're going to keep people out because of grumpy abrasiveness, it should work the other way. Particularly in Grey zones

[@BendyDH]

That's why I think the Hall should lean more into telling the story of baseball, not necessarily just inducting the best players ever. I actually think David Ortiz kind of started this trend, he had ties to steroids like so many other guys around him, but he had such a likable character and meant so much to Boston that he got first ballot despite possibly having done stetroids early in his career. Joe Mauer and even Adrian Beltre are both continuing this trend this year as well. I think this is a very good sign for Cutch to potentially be first ballot worthy in 2030 or whatever year it winds up being

[@markflores95]

With the Mac Miller instrumentals 😏🔥😮‍💨

[@ILoveMisty1985]

Whatever happens, Andrew McCutchen is already the best player to make his Major League debut on the same day a pitcher won his 300th game, since he debuted on June 4, 2009 the same day Randy Johnson won his 300th.

[@626tarheels]

If he’s a hall of famer, is Joey votto a hall of famer? Numbers are similar

[@kenw2225]

Neither are. They're both really good

[@RupertMumphrey]

@@kenw2225votto should be a hall of famer if ortiz is

[@MM33003]

Votto is definitely a HOFer. Cutch is not.

[@RupertMumphrey]

@@MM33003 good take

[@tmoney305]

Bold take but I’m interested. If he gets in for your reasons it’ll be huge for the HOF. Also if we’re taking into consideration storylines and how iconic they were for their franchise then Frank White should be in the HOF (similar stats to Mazeroski, whole career with Royals, tied with Alex Gordon for franchise record 8 Gold Gloves, and supported by current HOF players that he should be in)

[@zoreyaswain1133]

Excellent video and valid points about baseball culture needing a huge dose of reality!

[@violentvowelz9920]

Ayy, diablo by mac miller in the background!

[@themegjake4000]

Inner circle hall of very good

[@BurghFinsFan]

Cutch is a legend, we love him so much in Pittsburgh.

[@PittsburghCardCollector]

Great video and I total agree with you about Cutch. I believe he will be a HOFer once his career is over.

[@feefop9858]

He's a good player, but a GREAT player? Never had 100 rbis in a season. Hit 30 hrs once in his career. .276 career batting average is good, but great? No. Defense and intangibles add something, but it seems as the years go by the bar for the HOF gets lowered....It used to be reserved for the best of the best, but now the guys in the 2nd and 3rd row are getting in.

[@kenw2225]

Lol. Moises alou had a better career. He got less than 5% of votes , first year dropped off ballot

[@tayloranderson4662]

I respect the faces instrumentals in the background

[@WillL_4]

Amazing prime, just very little production besides his insane 5 year stretch

[@seplays2280]

If he didn’t fall off so bad in his early 30’s due to missed time w injuries he’d prob get there hit as things are now he’s not HOF material

[@Dman425]

Why not? Harold Baines got in. Might as well lose all respect for the HOF!

[@christinebellotti1499]

Ketih Hernandez needs to be in the hall.

[@SO-if3yn]

I agree. We need to respect a prime that lasts 7-10years. He stands out when we think of Pitt, he is in the story of baseball.

[@curtisfleecs3630]

Love ‘Cutch. Hope he plays forever.

[@hectorlumbagoCringe]

I’m convinced, yes he should get in

[@Goalbound01]

If Matt holiday is in the hall of very good then he is too

[@BigBadBeard-jo4xn]

He is in the bobby Bonilla tier of hall of very good

[@timdavis5008]

Thank you for this 🙌

[@slaugmromni6743]

Okay, look... oh boy... I admire the effort here and your love of Cutch is infectious. But let's be real: Andrew Stefan McCutchen has no business being in the Hall of Fame. He's a great guy who has had a really good career, but he's not a Hall of Famer. A good test I rely on for determining whether a guy should be in the Hall of Fame is to listen to the case made in favor of his HOF candidacy by knowledgable baseball fans. There are certain kinds of things people say in support of clear Hall of Famers and certain kinds of things for players who are not (in my opinion) Hall of Famers. For clear Hall of Famers the case easily makes itself - there's no hedging, no hesitation, no excuses, no bull. Take a recent inductee: Adrian Beltre. What's his case? He has 3200 hits, leads all third basemen in MLB history in hits, RBIs, and total bases. He's third all time among third basemen in WAR and home runs. He's probably the second best defensive third basemen ever, only behind the legendary Brooks Robinson. To put Beltre's career WAR into perspective, his tops that of Jimmie Foxx, Wade Boggs, Steve Carlton, George Brett, Chipper Jones, Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan, and Pete Rose. See how simple and undeniable that was? See how once you lay out the direct case for Beltre there is no plausible argument against his induction? THAT, my friends, is what a true HOF case looks like. Now let's turn to the case for McCutchen. The strongest case for Cutch is his combination of 2000 hits, 300 hr, and 200 sb. That's impressive, but (a) that alone doesn't get you into the Hall, and (b) that's not the first thing you said. It wasn't the second or third or fifth thing you brought up. My guess is that the reason for this is even you recognize that this combo is, while impressive, not really HOF stuff. The first thing you brought up was that he's really good at baseball. Yeah, true, but that's the kind of thing you'd say about a guy for whom a statistical case is lacking. You wouldn't say, "Albert Pujols should be in the HOF because, well, he was really good at baseball." You also mentioned that his oWAR was 17th all-time among centerfielders. Again, that's impressive, but not HOF worthy. You then pointed out that he had a really great (but really short) peak, about 4-5 years. Peak performance is not irrelevant, of course, but there are thousands of guys who were HOFers for 4-5 years who have no business being in the HOF. A short peak might get you in the NFL or NBA HOF, but not in MLB. Then you said something about having the hit total of DiMaggio and the HR total of Brett. While true, this is merely misleading name-dropping, and is below the otherwise high quality of this video. (Imagine I did the opposite: Sandy Koufax HOF? But he has only the win total of Barry Zito and the strikeout total of Charlie Hough. Doesn't sound HOF caliber to me. See? Technically true, but totally misleading and ultimately pointless.) Finally, let's get to the character clause thing. I agree that Cutch is a great guy, one of the best the game has seen. That's not unimportant, but character should be used to buttress an already unimpeachable resume, not the thing that turns a Hall of Very Good resume into a Hall of Fame one. Beltre is a great guy, too, and that's one of the reasons I'm such a fan and I was happy to see him get in. But notice that when I made his case, I didn't tell you what kind of a guy he was. The reason, of course, is that I didn't have to, I was too busy listing his undeniable career accolades. If a player's HOF case rests largely on him being a super swell guy, that should send up red flags. With respect to the supposed hypocrisy of using the character clause in a negative way, in my view, the answer is not to double down on the error and elevate undeserving players like Cutch. The answer to the supposed hypocrisy is to stop using it against guys like Sheffield and Kent. This is obvious, of course: let in guys who deserve to be in based on their playing careers and don't let in the guys who don't deserve to be in. But, to repeat: the solution to an error is not to compound the error in other directions. So, what's the case for Cutch (and yes, I know I'm simplifying here)? He's good at baseball; he was great for some years; he's a really good CF bat but a defensive liability at a prime position, and he's a really good guy. To me, this does not read like the case for a Hall of Fame player. This reads like the kind of stuff you say in defense of a player who clearly does not have a Hall of Fame resume. So, let's enjoy Cutch while we have him, let's remember his contributions to the game, but let's not put him in the Hall of Fame.

[@scipio7]

He seems to me like Kenny Lofton. Great center fielder, if he made the HOF it wouldn't make the HOF worse. But at the same time, it wouldn't make the HOF look silly if he didn't.

[@RupertMumphrey]

Kenny lofton made the hall look stupid for not putting him in.

[@jamesweldon8118]

Now do Andruw Jones

[@mikesirman3148]

He's a dude, but I think he falls short of the hall... When's the last time he was the best player on his team? Prob back earlier with the pirates... He had a very solid 5 year peak, but the rest of his seasons are just a little above average. Anyway would be hard to give mccutchen a vote and not someone else on the ballot

[@Aut0KAD]

he definitely has an argument to be in the HOF

[@kingcrapout]

Doubt it will happen, but if he gets a ring in his final year that would be legendary

[@SakAttack87]

If you're putting McCutchen in the HOF then Bernie Williams needs to go in like yesterday.

[@mattcox3373]

If Scott Rolen can get in then, so can Cutch. I believe it will take at least five ballots, though

[@mrcnub]

Cutch isn't even close to Rolen. Rolen was still an elite hitter at age 35 and was arguably the best defender at his position throughout his entire career. Cutch... wasn't.

[@JB-wh3we]

Lmao. Even Pirates fans would not consider him a HOFer, much less a "Pirates Legend". Brian Giles had more of an impact on the Pirates. Let that sink in.

[@Fortnite-jx8de]

Fake fan

[@nomercyinc6783]

youtube videos dont put currently playing players into the hall of fame. youtube videos dont make a difference.

[@itsmychannel]

Don’t compare AI to Embiid and Harden… AI carried a team mostly singlehandedly to the finals. Once harden and embiid do that then they can be compared to AI when it comes to playoff success.

[@jackmckean6246]

God I love Cutch. Great video!!

[@bananaperson7372]

This but for Dustin Pedroia

[@summerxsixteen9010]

is that 'Here we go' by mac miller I hear ?????

[@summerxsixteen9010]

and more mac i spoke to soon

[@Leafgreen1976]

Nope. Your entire argument is based on him being a nice guy and we all know where they finish.

[@RupertMumphrey]

The issue is that so many HOF voters use guys being jerks or bad people against them in the vote but they never use it to reward good people.

[@Leafgreen1976]

@@RupertMumphrey You're repeating what he said in the video without adding an original thought.

[@RupertMumphrey]

I hadn’t watched the whole video when I commented, my bad. I was unaware that was brought up.

[@RupertMumphrey]

Also after reviewing cutch’s stats he probably isn’t good enough for the “character clause” to boost enough.

[@israelledesma1917]

Hall Of Very Good

[@rossy201]

Just saying my man great video very informative but please get a pop filter or turn the gain on the mic down please I love your videos but they hurt my ears

[@cokesquirrel]

I was like to check baseball reference to look at some of their key metrics of how players compared to hall of famers. I'm not criticizing him but his metrics and stats don't even Get to 50% of most of the common hall of famers I enjoy watching play and thought he was solid, But have somebody else said below he's more hall of real good

[@felixorozco6514]

He alsi played for the Giants.💯⚾

[@ord4r857]

No

[@real_blackmamba8665]

Hell yea he should

[@mrcnub]

Yeah no, sorry. Through 2015 he was definitely on track for it and if he had 3 or 4 more seasons like that he'd be there, but as it is he's Hall of Very Good.

[@_Farbs]

you won me over dude

[@HT-sm9dm]

That’s a no for me dawg. Pittsburgh Pirates hall of fame sure 👍🏽.

[@bryanterrill7674]

I despise the pirates but cutch is one of those guys

[@bryanterrill7674]

Seeing him beat up my cardinals in these clips solidifies the pirate hate but I do love cutch lol