Cutch’s slow start turning into bad season?
Andrew McCutchen has traditionally been a slow starter throughout his eight-year career.
The Pirates star center has a career batting average of .255 in April but then rises to .314 in May, .316 in June before tapering off slightly to .305 in July, .296 in August and .278 in September. His OPS follows a similar path: .766, .907, .906, .919, .887 and .861.
However, it is mid-June and it seems McCutchen鈥檚 early-season slump is quietly turning into a bad season. The 29-year-old is hitting just .241 through 60 games with nine home runs, only one stolen base and a .729 OPS.
He has been a shell of a player who was the National League MVP in 2013 and finished in the top five in the voting each of the last four seasons while also being selected to five consecutive All-Star Games.
His poor play is at least partially responsible for the Pirates having a 32-31 record and being in third place in the National League Central, a distant 12 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs.
The Pirates were off Monday and will take a five-game losing into their opener of a three-game series against the Mets on Tuesday night at New York.
Just as noticeable as his poor statistics has been a sense of disengagement. Opposing managers and scouts both say McCutchen has looked disinterested.
鈥淗e seems to be lacking fire, lacking energy,鈥� said a scout from another NL Central team.
McCutchen rarely gives a window into his soul and certainly hasn鈥檛 been doing that while in the worst slump of his career. Manager Clint Hurdle will only offer technical reasons for McCutchen鈥檚 difficult season.
鈥淚 believe for Andrew, the prep work we do, the early work is very concise, the swing is connected and come game time we鈥檙e just not having the consistence of the path we want through the zone,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淚 think the contact point has been a little more inconsistent and we鈥檝e seen more swing and miss than we鈥檝e seen in the past.
鈥淗e鈥檚 just going to continue to work. There have been times when he has backed off the work in stretches but he鈥檚 getting good solid work, he鈥檚 getting his video work, he鈥檚 been a professional. He shows up every day.鈥�
Hurdle shot down the idea that perhaps opposing pitchers have detected a pattern that allows them to have success against McCutchen and he has been unable to adjust back. In fact, Hurdle hints that the umpires may have something to do with McCutchen鈥檚 struggles.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the sequence he has been seeing is drastically different than he鈥檚 seen in the past,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淚 tell you one thing that has happened is that there have been a lot of challenging calls on him, quite truthfully. The 0-1 count he鈥檚 thinking it鈥檚 a ball and it鈥檚 called a strike and now instead of 1-1, it鈥檚 0-2. A lot of flip counts have happened on him this year, more than any year I can remember 鈥� nothing even close. Instead of 2-1, it鈥檚 now 1-2.鈥�
Amateur psychologists 鈥� i.e. talk show callers and internet commenters 鈥� believe McCutchen鈥檚 problems stem from being placed second in the batting order after hitting out of the No. 3 hole for many seasons. The theory is that he is unhappy about not being in a spot where he can accumulate RBIs.
However, the Pirates鈥� offense has worked well with first baseman John Jaso leading off and right fielder Gregory Polanco hitting third. They are sixth in the major leagues in runs scored with an average of 4.76 a game.
Thus, Hurdle has no motivation to shift McCutchen in the lineup.
鈥淚 think he made a mention when he was talking publicly about it that he鈥檚 having to get ready to hit a little quicker when he comes in in the first inning, different from batting third,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 only one time that happens truthfully 鈥� in the first inning. After that the game just plays out.
鈥淭he entire offense is functioning pretty well so it鈥檚 something we鈥檙e always mindful but from an offensive standpoint, we鈥檙e getting pretty solid production.鈥�