Andrew McCutchen isn’t going down without a fight. Despite the 37-year-old’s injury troubles continuously elongating with time, he continues to show why he’s been in the league for 16 years. On June 11th against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Pirates star hit 2 home runs. Yes, that was incredible but you know what was even more special? It was the two fans sitting in the stadium who seemed rather familiar. 

Apart from being a special baseball player, McCutchen also happens to be a huge fan favorite. Part of the reason is his wholesome personality but also the way he interacts with fans. But just how big of an impact does McCutchen have? It’s visible by the fact that two of his diehard fans are still visiting his games only because he once gave them his glove. 

The camera panned towards the crowd as Andrew McCutchen strutted across the bases after his second home run. It was then that it caught two familiar fans. They were Christopher and Elijah McCreary – the two young Pittsburgh Pirates fans he had given his gloves to in 2015. That moment had gone viral that year and proved to be a lasting memory for those two young fans. Perhaps that’s why when the camera pointed at them, the crowd and announcers had an audible glee in their voice.

This certainly isn’t the first time that we’ve seen the McCrearys. In 2023, the Pirates had arranged a special meeting between them and McCutchen. Interestingly, they explained how deep their McCutchen fandom runs. “I’m a diehard Pirate fan, but I’m definitely a die-hard Cutch fan,” Christopher McCreary said. “When he came back, I was so excited. I was really happy.” One could see how McCutchen’s 2023 return was a dream come true for McCreary.  Perhaps that’s why despite the Pirates not doing extremely good, the McCrearys are still at the stadium to witness McCutchen. Especially because with recent injury troubles, the star’s playing time has been reduced by quite a lot.

Andrew McCutchen’s lower body issues continue to ignite fears

After the game, both McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton hinted that the star isn’t 100% yet. “He’s able to get his swing off, obviously, but other than that, I think he’s still grinding a little bit,” Shelton said. One wouldn’t be surprised if Andrew McCutchen feels the pain every time he comes out to bat. He’s just returned after a three-day absence due to a left quad strain. 

Moreover, at 37, McCutchen is at a stage where wear and tear takes hold in his body. Evidence of it came in last September when he suffered from a partially torn Achilles heel. That was a sign of this aging star’s body gradually becoming softer with age. So why is he playing instead of healing his wounds? “Because my 70 percent is better than zero percent,” McCutchen said. “If I can swing the bat, I’m going to swing it. If I can’t run, I can’t run, but my job is to hit and DH.” That’s the spirit that has guided Cutch throughout his career.

And certainly, that is the spirit that has made him such a fan-favorite. So with another wholesome moment in their pocket, the McCutchen-McCreary saga has extended even more. Will we witness these two young fans more in the future? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.