The Pittsburgh Pirates gave their fans a show in their final home game of 2025. Pittsburgh jumped out to a two-run lead in the first inning and never looked back. They went on to score 11 runs and blanked the Athletics for the second straight day.
Andrew McCutchen drove in the game’s first run, going 1-4 with a walk on the day. He’s on an expiring contract, meaning Sunday’s game could have been his last home game as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Late in the game, the fans rose to their feet to give McCutchen an ovation. He took his timeout before the first pitch to take in the moment.
“[The fans] have been doing it all year; it wasn’t one time. It wasn’t the first time they did that. They’ve been great all year, every at-bat from my first at-bat to this one,” McCutchen said.
The Pirates’ legend has said previously that he wants to keep playing. He emphasized that he wants to win with his next team, be that Pittsburgh or elsewhere. The Pirates have work to do to become a contender, but the bones of a solid team are there. The pitching has been among the best in baseball, but the offensive output hasn’t matched it.
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“We’ll see what happens. Obviously, a lot of that stuff is out of my control. I need to do my part. Obviously, I do want to continue playing,” McCutchen said.
McCutchen played on a one-year, $5 million deal this season. He accumulated 0.4 bWAR, hit 13 home runs and drove in 56 runs. While his bat was about league average by some metrics, his defensive capabilities will limit the number of opportunities he has. He registered a .772 OPS against left-handed pitching, though, so an organization might be interested in the veteran in a platoon-type role.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images