On March 14th 2022, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired the former National League MVP, Andrew McCutchen. This was a signing that came out of nowhere as he wasn’t a target that most fans thought would come to Milwaukee based on past playing experiences. In this article, I will explain why this signing was solid for the Milwaukee Brewers and how he can become a useful player for the Milwaukee Brewers. Through his hitting statistics versus left handed pitchers, elite veteran presence, and previous experience hitting in Milwaukee, he will be a vital tool for success here in Milwaukee.

• First, let’s talk about the main reason why the Milwaukee Brewers ultimately signed Andrew McCutchen. They signed him due to his strengths of being able to hit well against left handed pitchers, which was an area that was astronomically weak for Milwaukee. In the last three seasons, Andrew McCutchen has a batting average of .291 with an OBP, on base percentage, of .407 and a slugging percentage of .567. All of these statistics are very impressive especially for a player that is 36 years old and has played a very long tenured career. In terms of OPS, On Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage, the Milwaukee Brewers ranked 23rd in Major League Baseball when facing left handed pitchers. Adding Andrew McCutchen will be a big boost for the Brewers as he can play virtually anywhere in the outfield while also being flexible enough to play as a Designated Hitter. His ability to hit efficiently against left-handed pitchers will provide much flexibility within the lineup for the Milwaukee Brewers.

• Along with his great hitting against left handed pitchers, he also brings in an elite and essential veteran presence for the young outfielders on this Brewers team. To give some background, Andrew McCutchen was drafted 11th by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005 and made his way up to the MLB a few years later. McCutchen played nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, accumulating five All-Star selections, one Gold Glove, three Silver Sluggers and one Most Valuable Player award. McCutchen was most known for his time in Pittsburgh creating many memories for fanbases in the National League. Growing up and watching baseball, it was hard to root for him since he played for one of the Brewer’s divisional rivals. McCutchen made the postseason as the Pirate’s best player three years in a row from 2013-2015 where they were unable to get over the hump and play in the MLB World Series. McCutchen eventually moved on from Pittsburgh where he played in New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia. McCutchen will be a great presence for young outfielders such as Tyrone Taylor and Garrett Mitchell and could provide some useful insight to the next generation of Brewers outfielders.

• The last reason why this signing is exciting, is due to the dominance that McCutchen has had playing at American Family Field, the Milwaukee Brewers stadium. McCutchen has tallied 77 total games at American Family Field and possesses a .289 batting average along with a .931 OPS and 23 home runs. These statistics are very impressive regardless of what stadium. Normally when players come to Milwaukee they tend to see an increase in offensive performance due to the stadium being smaller and what is known as a “hitters ballpark”. Normally, a team will play 81 games at home which would almost align perfectly with these statistics above. This would be absolutely incredible if he were able to hit like this and I don’t expect that but based on his presence, I like his chances to break out as a solid hitter for the Brewers.

This acquisition will provide great efforts for the Milwaukee Brewers as he is able to be a great hitter against left handed pitchers, bring in a veteran presence, and has prior experience hitting well in Milwaukee. While I don’t think Andrew McCutchen will be the best player, he will definitely play a solid role in Milwaukee and should help the Brewers win some crucial ball games later in the season. I expect McCutchen to fit in nicely with the ballclub and understand what it takes to win postseason games. Overall, I like this signing as it brings in more depth which is important when playing a 162 game season and will bring in important attributes that are much needed for the Brewers ballclub.