Fanhouse: Andrew McCutchen Has Pittsburgh a Little Too Excited

It’s unfair because McCutchen has played in exactly 23 major league games through Sunday. That’s a little more than an eighth of a season. In those eight games, McCutchen has hit five triples, which already has him tied with teammate Nyjer Morgan for the National League lead. He’s stolen four bases without being caught, hit a walk-off single earlier this week, and has a .297/.362/.465 line even after going hitless in his last 10 at-bats. He’s the best prospect the Pirates have had in years, but he’s still only played in 23 games and comparing someone who’s played in 23 games to a Hall of Famer with 3,000 hits, an MVP trophy, and a hit in all 14 World Series games that he played in (both of which the Pirates won) is more than a little unfair.

It’s ridiculous because, plain and simple, there will never be another Roberto Clemente. Some players have the ability to capture the imagination of fans that transcends mere baseball; Clemente was one of those players. If you were at PNC Park today, there’s a good chance that you’d see more shirts with Clemente’s No. 21 on the back than shirts with all of the current Pirates combined. He was beloved both in Pittsburgh and his native Puerto Rico for his skills both with the bat and in the field, with an arm that’s still the go-to comparison for any strong-armed youngster in right field. Beyond baseball, he spent his offseasons doing charity work and died flying relief to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake.