• Faith: Christian
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  October 10, 1986

Andrew McCutchen is a professional baseball outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s previously played for the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Browns, and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates selected McCutchen in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2009. During his first tenure in Pittsburgh, McCutchen was the National League MVP in 2013, a five-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the Roberto Clemente Award winner in 2015. He held the NL in hits in 2012, on-base percentage, and extra-base hits.

McCutchen was born in Fort Meade, Florida, to Lorenzo and Petrina Swan, who were high school teens at the time. He has a sister, Loren. McCutchen lived with his mother while his father attended Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee, where his father played running back on the football team. Lorenzo gave up his dream of making the NFL to be close to his son and came back to Fort Meade in 1989. Petrina wouldn’t marry him unless he became a church minister, which he did and the two married in 1992. McCutchen was eligible to play varsity baseball as an eighth grader at Fort Meade High School. He batted .591 that year. His average his senior season was .709, as he hit 16 home runs and 42 runs batted in RBIs. During his varsity career, he batted .474.

McCutchen also ran track and played football. He was part of a state-title-winning 4x100 meters relay in his first year of high school. He was one of the top football recruits in Florida, with his high school position being wide receiver, but he opted for a baseball career. He was reportedly offered a full-ride scholarship to the University of Miami to play football. McCutchen, who committed to the University of Florida, was drafted 11thh overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft. He signed with the Pirates, receiving a $1.9 million signing bonus instead of attending Florida. In 2005, he played for the Rookie Gulf Coast League Pirates and the Class A Williamsport Crosscutter and hit a combined .310/.419 with two home runs and 17 stolen bases.

Before the 2006 season, Baseball America named McCutchen the #50 prospect in the minor leagues. He played the majority of the season for the Class A Hickory Crawdads, for whom he started the South Atlantic League All-Star team in his first full season as a professional player and was a postseason SAL All-Star. McCutchen also played for the Class AA Altoona Curve and batted a combined .294/.359/.4450 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 531 at-bats. At the end of that year, the Pirates named him the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year.

What religion is Andrew McCutchen?

McCutchen identifies as a Christian. His father is a minister, and McCutchen typically credits God for his career. In one interview, he said, “I feel like it means doing God’s work—doing what He’s called me to do and using the gifts and talents He’s given me. In my life, I want people to see that I’m not just a baseball player. I want them to know me as a Christian and as someone who is not afraid to make God’s name known.”