Andrew McCutchen DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will start on the bench for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Adam Frazier is making the start in right field and will hit eighth against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Bryan Reynolds (triceps) continues to serve as Pittsburgh's designated hitter, leaving the 38-year-old McCutchen as the odd-man out. The former MVP has gotten off to a .267 (8-for-30) start at the plate in his 17th big-league season, and he's added a homer, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored in his 10 games played. Cutch should start to see more regular playing time as the DH whenever Reynolds is able to return to left-field duties. Frazier will be a low-upside DFS option at the bottom of Pittsburgh's lineup. He has hit .286 with one RBI in seven career at-bats against Singer.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham are not in Saturday's starting lineup. Instead, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter, which will open right field for Jack Suwinski. With Pham sitting out, Ji-Hwan Bae will cover left field. Through the first two games of the season, McCutchen has gone 1-for-7 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Pham has also had a modest output in the batter's box, going 1-for-8 at the plate. However, Pham has swiped a bag in each of the first two games and added a double. Last season, Suwinski posted a .182/.264/.324 slash line with nine home runs and nine stolen bases. Bae struggled across his brief 29-game stint in the majors last season, holding a .189 AVG. Neither player should be targeted in DFS facing Miami right-hander Valente Bellozo.

Free-agent outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen re-signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday on a one-year deal worth $5 million, according to a source. Although McCutchen is clearly past his prime and is basically a full-time DH at this point in his career, the 38-year-old was highly coveted by the Pirates for his leadership skills in the clubhouse. In 448 at-bats over 120 games for Pittsburgh in 2024 in his 16th year in the big leagues, the five-time All-Star and former National League MVP hit .232/.328/.411 with a .739 OPS, 20 home runs, 50 RBI, three steals and 66 runs scored. McCutchen should once again be expected to serve as the team's full-time DH in 2025, and while he still has decent pop for his age, fantasy managers would be foolish to expect another season of 20 homers.