ESPN: Phillies Andrew McCutchen One of MLB’s Most Underrated

The Phillies had many injuries derail their 2019 campaign, but one of them might have been more impactful than the rest.

ESPN's MLB writer David Schoenfield made a list of one player on each team “we should appreciate more when baseball resumes.”

Outfielder Andrew McCuthen was his pick for the Phillies.

Here's rooting for a big comeback for McCutchen from his knee injury. Obviously, he isn't going to regain his 2012-15 peak, when he finished third, first, third and fifth in the MVP voting, but he has still been an above-average hitter every season of his career. At 33, the best-case scenario for Cutch is something like Moises Alou, who missed his entire age-32 season after tearing his ACL in a treadmill accident. Alou returned and hit .355 at age 33. Maybe that bar is a little high, but Alou kept hitting until he was 40.

McCuthen was the Phillies primarily lead off hitter before he went down with a ACL injury last season. The former MVP hit .256 with 10 homers, 29 RBI and two steals in his debut season for Philadelphia.

The 33-year-old will likely be right back at the top of the Phillies lineup once baseball resumes.