Major League Baseball

McCutchen lifting surprising Pirates

Published Jul. 20, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a winning season since 1992, but are contenders to win the National League Central division this year. If you're looking for a reason for the team's success, look no further than Andrew McCutchen.

No player in baseball is carrying his team toward the playoffs the way McCutchen has up to this point. Using Wins Above Replacement as a measure of total value contributed, McCutchen has produced 25 percent of the Pirates' total team WAR, far above any other player on a winning team.

Detroit Tigers' ace Justin Verlander is the only other player on a contender over 20 percent, with Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher Roy Halladay, Cleveland Indians' shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and LA Angels' pitcher Jered Weaver contributing 17 percent to their team's total production.

Even just looking at standard numbers, McCutchen's significance to his team is obvious. Through Monday, he led the Pirates in hits, doubles, triples, home runs, walks, stolen bases, and nearly any other measure of offensive performance you can think of.

He's also the team's best defensive player, using his speed in centerfield to turn deep fly balls into outs. While most other MVP candidates have at least one wing man, McCutchen is carrying Pittsburgh's offense essentially by himself.

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