Pirates' Andrew McCutchen joins 300-home run club
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Pirates' Andrew McCutchen has reached an MLB milestone.
McCutchen joined the 300-home run club on April 14, hitting a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The home run came off pitcher Ricardo Pinto to extend the Pirates lead to 9-2. The Pirates would win the game by that same score.
"I'd be remiss if I said I wasn't thinking about it," McCutchen said after the game. "The fans here are great, and they were good to me," McCutchen said. "It felt like a gift for me. It was nice to be able to do it here."
How many players have hit 300 home runs?
The Pirates' star is the 160th player in baseball history to join the exclusive club.
Andrew McCutchen was on the verge of reaching the milestone last season, but a season-ending Achilles injury in September ended his 2023 campaign early. Before No. 300, his last home run came on Aug. 22, 2023, against the St. Louis Cardinals. He took pitcher Adam Wainwright deep for home run No. 299.
The five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP who re-signed with the Pirates over the offseason finished last season with 12 home runs in 122 games. He also reached 2,000 career hits last season, making him the 12th player in Pirates history to record 2,000 hits.
When did Andrew McCutchen hit his first home run?
Andrew McCutchen hit his first home run on June 17, 2009, as a rookie off Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano. The home run came in the third inning of a game the Pirates won 8-2.
He finished his rookie season with 12 home runs and has hit at least 10 home runs in every season since reaching the majors, including a career-high 31 home runs during the 2012 season.
McCutchen has hit 216 of his 300 home runs as a Pirate. He has hit one home run against every team in the MLB.
