Andrew McCutchen 2021 Fantasy Outlook: Consistent Production In The Second Half Of Drafts
4 years agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen continues to be Mr. Consistent, even as he enters his mid-30s. An ACL injury limited him to 59 games in 2019, the fewest games played in his career and also the first time in 10 years that he failed to play at least 146 games in a season. Last year, McCutchen bounced back to his healthy, reliable self by playing in 57 games and hitting 10 homers -- equating to 27 in a full season -- with four steals chipped in. McCutchen's batting average last year (.253) was near identical to his previous two years -- .255 in 2018 and .256 in 2019 -- establishing a solid base to project from. The days of double-digit stolen bases are likely gone, but his four steals in the shortened 2020 season does give some reason to hope that he could approach double-digit thefts if he stays healthy all year. All but one of McCutchen's starts last year came as the Phillies leadoff hitter, and even though last year's walk rate (9.1%) was McCutchen's lowest in the majors, he still put up a solid .324 OBP. He'll offer up useful run-scoring potential if he's the leadoff hitter again in 2021. McCutchen benefited from the universal designated hitter in 2020 (16 games as DH), so he may not be an everyday player as a 34-year-old if MLB doesn't bring the universal DH back. Even still, McCutchen's consistent production offers value at his current ADP of 202 as the 54th outfielder taken in drafts, on average.