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Fans were left surprised Friday night when Pittsburgh Pirates stalwart Andrew McCutchen was absent as sports analyst Pat McAfee’s popular show, "Big Night AHT," came to the Steel City, featuring some of Pittsburgh’s most iconic athletes on one stage.
Young Pirates phenom Paul Skenes appeared at the event alongside Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
However, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the notable absence of McCutchen. The 38-year-old slugger eventually replied to one of the posts, saying he simply hadn’t received an invite.
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In response to McCutchen’s post, many fans voiced their disappointment.
"That’s a travesty," one fan wrote.
"Horrible oversight, inexcusable," another fan commented.
"That’s a rare Pat McAfee L, damn," another fan said.
"This just hurtful for the whole city," another fan replied.
"Huge swing and a miss @PatMcAfeeShow," another fan commented.
"Big L forgetting about Cutch!!" another fan responded.
Since making his debut for the Pirates in June 2009, McCutchen has become one of the league’s top hitters and one of the Bucs’ most influential players. His accolades include five All-Star selections, a National League MVP award, a Gold Glove and four Silver Slugger awards.
Andrew McCutchen's teammate has moment to forget at Pat McAfee's Big Night AHT
As some of Pittsburgh’s most adored athletes gathered on one stage, the task of the night challenged them to throw footballs through a giant ring of fire to determine the grand prize that one lucky fan would win.
It appears Andrew McCutchen's teammate, Paul Skenes, who is known for his elite ability to throw a baseball, doesn’t enjoy the same kind of success when throwing a football. Tasked with hitting the target on two occasions, the 22-year-old stumbled at the key moment both times.
After a stellar rookie season that earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors, Skenes has looked solid again in 2025. So far, he has a 3.44 ERA with 20 strikeouts. As for McCutchen, the veteran is batting .258 with one home run and five RBIs.
