WATCH: Pirates' Andrew McCutchen Hits First 2025 Home Run
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen finally got some power going from the plate early on in the season.
McCutchen faced off against Miami Marlins right-handed starting pitcher Max Meyer in the top of the second inning at loanDepot Park in Miami.
Meyer threw a 96 mph fastball high and inside, but McCutchen turned on it brilliantly, smashing it way over the left field wall, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
Year 17 is off to a great start for Andrew McCutchen with this home run 💥 pic.twitter.com/tG59eCF2UB
— MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2025
This is the 236th home run of his Pirates' career in his 12th season with the franchise. This puts him just four off of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente's 240 home runs, which ranks fourth most in Pirates history.
He also now has 800 extra-base hits, making him one of three active MLB players to achieve that number, along with Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.
McCutchen served mostly as a designated hitter last season, playing in 120 games, with 104 hits, 18 doubles, 20 home runs and 50 RBIs and slashing .232/.328/.411 at 38 years old for the Pirates.
The Pirates selected McCutchen with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft out of Fort Meade High School in Fort Meade, Fla. They convinced him to forgo his commitment to Florida, offering him a $1.9 million signing bonus.
McCutchen made his MLB debut in June 2009 and had a great rookie campaign, slashing .286/.365/.471, while adding 124 hits, 26 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and 54 walks to 83 strikeouts. He finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
His continued to improve over the coming years, with five consecutive All-Star appearances for the NL from 2011-15, four consecutive Silver Slugger Awards from 2012-15 and a Gold Glove Award in 2012.
McCutchen won the NL MVP in 2013, as he slashed .317/.404/.508 with 185 hits, 38 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs 84 RBIs, 27 steals and 78 walks to 101 strikeouts. He also helped the Pirates end a streak 20-consecutive losing seasons and make the Playoffs for the first time since 1992.
The Pirates traded McCutchen after the 2017 season to the San Francisco Giants. He spent part of the 2018 season there, before they traded him to the New York Yankees.
He signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies that offseason, keeping him there through the 2021 season. He also played the 2022 season for the Milwaukee Brewers.
McCutchen re-signed with the Pirates on a one-year, $5 million contract before the 2023 season. He would do the same prior to the 2024 season and again for this season, marking his 11th with the franchise.
He has played in 1,581 games, made 1,668 hits, 330 doubles, 45 triples, 818 RBI, 185 stolen bases and 819 walks, while slashing .284/.375/.475 in his 11 seasons with Pittsburgh.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.