5 Reasons Why Andrew McCutchen Should Win 2014 NL MVP

McCutchen again put up eye-popping offensive numbers that led the Pirates in most categories. He hit a triple slash of .301/.393/.504 with 25 HRs and 83 RBIs. Those stats are just as good, if not better, than last season when McCutchen won the award. Those offensive numbers also helped push the Pirates into the playoffs, making him one of the most valuable bats in all of the league.

To win the MVP a player has to have more than great offense. They have to excel in all aspects of the game. McCutchen is exactly this because he adds some great work with his glove to his dominant offensive stats. A former Gold Glove winner, McCutchen was a part of several diving and jumping catches for the Pirates this season and didn't make any extreme errors as a center fielder. This all-around success is what an MVP should have.

Over the past few seasons, McCutchen has become an icon and a household name in the city of Pittsburgh and in all of America. His quirky personality is often seen in videos displayed at PNC Park and on commercials for big companies such as ESPN. Baseball would much rather have a player people know win their biggest award, and because McCutchen is such a star, that should give him an edge in the MVP race.

Going along with McCutchen's iconic status is the fact that he is one of the many faces of baseball. McCutchen has been pushed to have more public airtime on radio and television by MLB. He was also just voted on to the cover of MLB's biggest video game. Baseball wants McCutchen to be a big name in the sport and be an ambassador to younger players. MLB could push McCutchen towards this goal even more by giving him the MVP award.

McCutchen has won plenty of awards over the last few seasons, including the MVP award at the end of last season. Voters in any award race often take into account how much the player has done in his career as well as that season, and since McCutchen is the only former MVP winner on the list of finalists this season, that prestige could give him his second MVP award.