Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen is a finalist for the NL MVP Award, which will be awarded tonight, and he could "enhance his national profile ... [and] his bottom line" if he takes home the hardware, according to a front-page piece by Michael Sanserino of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Baker Street Advertising Senior VP & Exec Creative Director Bob Dorfman said that McCutchen could add as much as $1M to his lifetime earnings "by adding 'MVP' to his resume." However, that is "just a fraction of what he would earn in another sport," as baseball players "simply aren't as marketable as their peers in football and basketball." Dorfman: "It's a lot harder for baseball players to break through on a national level." Sanserino notes MLB "struggles to turn its stars into national brands, in part because the sport has such a regional appeal." The sport does have some "marketable young faces," such as Angels CF Mike Trout, Nationals LF Bryce Harper and Nationals P Stephen Strasburg, and McCutchen winning the MVP could "elevate him into that category." Full Athlete Marketing Owner & Publicist John Fuller said that since he began repping McCutchen in spring '12, endorsements "have exploded." He currently "has sponsorship deals with Nike and T-Mobile and was featured on a video game cover for 'MLB The Show' this year." He and Red Sox DH David Ortiz earlier this week "were named executive producers of an MTV show that focuses on baseball and pop culture." Fuller said of the MVP award, "It definitely makes him more marketable. It's a launching pad into superstar status as an athlete, in any league, to be an MVP" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 11/14).
