Pirates Andrew McCutchen: Fantasy Baseball 2016 Least Valuable Hitter

The Pirates’ 2016 season was a big disappointment. Fantasy owners felt the same disappointment when they drafted outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

The fantasy baseball least valuable hitter could be determined by a few different factors. The player could be someone who missed most of the season with injury or suspension, but the former is something out of everyone’s control.

The ‘LVP’ is based on a player who was drafted fairly high, but did not deliver the results you were expecting. The least valuable hitter of this season was Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen.

McCutchen had an amazing 2015 season. He hit .296 with 23 home runs, 96 RBI, 91 runs scored in 157 games. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise he was a first round pick in almost all leagues. The follow-up to that spectacular season, however, made him feel like a 15th-round pick.

McCutchen did hit 24 homers, one more than last season, but everything else went in the opposite direction. He played in 153 games and drove in 76 runs, scored 81 times and hit .256. For the first time since 2010, he was not an all-star.

The first half of 2016 was an up-and-down ride. He hit 14 home runs, 38 RBI and .247. The second half was a little better, 10 HR/41 RBI/.267, but wasn’t enough for him to crack the top-35 among outfielders.

McCutchen finished as the No. 39 outfielder on the ESPN Player Rater, sandwiched between Melvin Upton Jr and Angel Pagan. If that doesn’t explain how bad he was, nothing will.

There was a bright side to this season. McCutchen was able to stay consistent with his power. This was sixth straight season with at least 21 home runs. However, it really doesn’t feel that special when 110 other batters hit at least 20.

McCutchen’s value used to come on the fact that he was a five-tool hitter. He could provide average, home runs, RBI, runs and steals. Entering 2017, that is no longer the case. He stole only six bases and his totals have dropped since 2013 (27, 18, 11 and six).

However, I do think McCutchen’s average, runs and RBI will average back to the mean. The Pirates dealt with a lot of injuries this season, so with a bounce back from not only him but the rest of the team, McCutchen could get back to his 2015 value.

McCutchen ruined a lot of fantasy owners’ seasons. As the eighth overall pick, owners were expecting closer to 100 runs, 100 RBI and a .290 average. I think he should be a mid-second round pick in standard leagues.

However, with the Pirates looking to shop McCutchen, his value will be greatly affected by where he lands in the offseason.