Andrew McCutchen Deals Huge Blow To Phillies With Torn ACL

Andrew McCutchen was in the middle of a solid campaign during his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was providing veteran leadership while putting himself well on the path to surpassing his numbers from 2018. Now that’s all over, as the 32-year-old tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the 2019 season, dealing a huge blow to the Phillies.

McCutchen was slashing .256/.378/.457, besting all his numbers from a down 2018. He also had 10 home runs and 29 RBI while playing a solid center field in 59 games. He was also leading the National League with 43 walks, ranked fifth in runs scored with 45 and was seeing and excellent 4.45 pitches per at bat.

A five-time All-Star and the 2013 NL MVP, McCutchen signed a three-year, $50 million deal this offseason. Now the first-place Phillies have to find another option in center and at the top of their lineup.

Philadelphia’s third-ranked prospect, Adam Haseley has gotten the call to replace McCutchen. Haseley was the eighth overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft but doesn’t rank among baseball’s top 100 prospects according to MLB.com. Haseley is a decent fielder who may be able to stick in center long-term, and he’s got a solid bat with some power and speed.

If Haseley isn’t the answer, the Phillies will have to hit the trade market for a true replacement.