Andrew McCutchen Has The Look

Andrew McCutchen has the look.

Much has been said, written, videoed, blogged, tweeted and whatever other social media is out there these days about the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ 1st-round pick back in 2005. Yet, I’m not sure any of it quite captures how good McCutchen is. Still, at just 26 years old, the native from Ford Mead, FL is one of the top five players in the MLB, at least as far as the complete package goes. The proverbial five-tool player “Cutch” can do it all. Hit for average? Check. Hit for power? Check. Throw? Check. Defense? None better. Run like the wind? Check.

But this isn’t about how good McCutchen is or isn’t, right now anyway. This is about how good he will be. And he will be good enough to be in the Hall of Fame. Unless injury or some other unnecessary set of circumstances prevents him from doing so, he will be there. You can mark your calendar 7/6/2013 as the date I wrote it.

In truth, it’s really not that bold of a prediction; akin to maybe saying Apple computers will still be in business 20 years from now.

Still, how can I be so confident in my prediction, especially without firing off a bunch of numbers that will prove my point?

McCutchen has the look. Exactly what do I mean by the look?

Perhaps a better words is focus. And his, as with all the great ones, appears to be laser-like. But more than that, consistent and constant. Unrelenting. Like a shark that never stops seeking it’s prey.

Every MLB player knows what it’s like to be “in the zone” out there on the field, when everything you do just works, but what separates the best from the not-so-best are the one’s who can maintain it over the long and grueling MLB baseball season. The average fan does not see (or feel for that matter) the wear and tear on the body a professional baseball player must endure, at least the starters who play 90 percent or more of the games. And anyone who’s played a little basketball, or any sport for that matter, knows that when you get tired you loose focus. The same easy 10-foot jump shot in the first quarter is not the same easy 10-foot jump-shot in the fourth quarter. Same principal applies to baseball.

So maintaining focus is the real challenge at the professional level. And just when you think you “got it”, the other guy has it “more” and beats you.

But not Andrew McCutchen. More often than not, at least in terms relative to baseball, he beats you. So that’s why, without listing a bunch of stats and extrapolating the numbers over a 20-some-year career, as long as Andrew McCutchen remains Andrew McCutchen, I can confidently predict success and the numbers will take care of themselves.

McCutchen has the look.