RADIO
Andrew McCutchen 2019 Outlook: New Home Brings Optimism
6 years agoOutfielder Andrew McCutchen signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on December 13, his third team in the past calendar year. He struggled to hit for any type of power as a member of the Giants, slugging just .415 across 482 at-bats with the club. While things improved moderately in his brief time as a Yankee, McCutchen ended the season with a slugging percentage at .430 or below for the second time in the past three seasons. Still, that didn’t stop him from providing quality statistics across three categories, as he stole 14 bases, went deep 20 times, and scored 83 runs. More importantly, he retained his strong plate discipline, recording a BB/K exactly in line with his career mark. His power potential also shouldn’t be left for dead, as the exit velocity of his batted balls was at its highest since the 2015 season. While an increasing groundball rate -- and decreasing launch angle -- are concerning, McCutchen will have the chance to play in the most hitter-friendly home park (excluding his brief time with the Yankees) of his career. Currently taken outside the top 150 in early drafts, there is a strong chance McCutchen will pay off his price tag -- and then some -- in 2019 despite his performance clearly being on the decline.
