Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been voted Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for June. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor for 24 of 30 MLB clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the American League Player of the Month Award.
“I’m definately honored and grateful and I thank God for the opportunity to be able to put forth a good month and to get the award is really good, but I definately couldn’t do it without the guys behind me and my teammates,” said McCutchen.
McCutchen, the current leader in All-Star fan balloting among N.L. outfielders, led the N.L. in extra-base hits during the month of June, clubbing 12 doubles and eight home runs in 26 games. The three-time All-Star was tied for the league lead in home runs and RBI (25). McCutchen also ranked among league leaders in slugging (2nd, .686), hits (T-2nd, 36), doubles (T-2nd) and runs scored (T-6th, 19) while posting a .343 (36-for-105) batting average. The reigning N.L. Most Valuable Player had a .410 on-base percentage for the month and swiped five bases.
“I felt pretty good,” said McCutchen. “I was able to get my extra base hits and hit the ball for some power a bit so, I was just feeling good throughout the month. I’m just going to continue to try and improve and get better as we go forth into July.”
McCutchen finished the month strong, hitting safely in eight consecutive games from June 21st-28th. He was 10-for-31 with a home run and six RBI in that span, helping the Bucs to a 6-2 mark. McCutchen clubbed his 12th homer of the season on June 25th at Tampa Bay, his 115th career blast, which moved him ahead of Bobby Bonilla for 14th on the Pirates all-time list. His three-hit, two-RBI performance on June 23rd led the Pirates to an 8-1 win at Tampa Bay in the opener of a three-game set at Tropicana Field. It was one of 26 multi-hit efforts he has notched this season and the seventh time this year that he has collected three-or-more hits in a game.
The Florida native garnered his third career N.L. Player of the Week Award for the week ending June 15th after leading the Majors with four homers, 13 RBI, a 1.034 slugging percentage and 30 total bases in a seven-game span. His 11-game hitting streak from June 9th-17th was just shy of his career-best 13-game streak recorded in 2009. McCutchen’s batting average jumped from .298 to .314 after his strong June showing. Entering play today, McCutchen is batting .310 on the season, which ranks eighth in the Senior Circuit. This is his third career Player of the Month honor, having won previously for June and July 2012.
Other players receiving votes included Milwaukee’s Jonathan Lucroy (.359, 19 R, 37 H, 7 2B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, .602 SLG, .427 OBP) and Scooter Gennett (.397, 20 R, 31 H, 11 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .692 SLG, .447 OBP); and Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton (.327, 18 R, 36 H, 3 HR, 18 RBI, .500 SLG, .348 OBP).
The Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for June 2014, Andrew McCutchen, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, in recognition of his accomplishment.
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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
