Andrew McCutchen thinks 2013 will be a different year for Pittsburgh, all thanks to a video game.
McCutchen, who beat out CC Sabathia and several other baseball stars to land the cover spot for Sony’s MLB The Show 13, said being the featured athlete on the video game could be a sign of good things to come for the Pirates.
“It’s great to have the opportunity to be a part of this,” McCutchen said during an event promoting the video game in Midtown. “To get this means a lot and I think it’s going to jumpstart us as a team and as a whole. I look forward to a great season.”
In each of the past two seasons the Pirates’ win total has increased and while they have had losing seasons for the past two decades, were in the playoff hunt well into the summer in both 2011 and 2012. In 2013 Pittsburgh is looking to end a 20-year postseason drought.
“I definitely think we are going to have the opportunity to do that this season and make it [to the playoffs],” McCutchen said. “We have practically the same team we had last year with the acquisition of a few players. I definitely think those players are going to help propel us to where we want to go and there’s no excuse as to why we shouldn’t be there.
“We have the tools to get to where we need to go, we just have to know how to use them. I’m just looking forward to it, we just have to take it day-by-day, game-by-game and take it from there.”
This offseason Pittsburgh traded closer Joel Hanrahan but added starter Francisco Liriano and former Yankees catcher Russell Martin. McCutchen, the team’s best player, is looking forward to playing with his new teammates and thinks they will mesh well.
“I’m going to meet him in spring training and it’s all about getting the relationship going, getting to know him and all of that,” McCutchen said. “It doesn’t take very long for guys to get along. I’m looking forward to playing alongside him and having a lot of fun this year.”
asulla-heffinger@nypost.com