There could have been tension between them when they first met. Each was drafted 11th over all, Walker in 2004 and McCutchen in 2005. Some egotistic jockeying might have even been expected. Yet Walker recognized a kindred spirit in the slightly younger player.

The Pirates were then in the second decade of a playoff drought that eventually hit 20 seasons. Walker was a native son, who grew up attending games in the upper deck at Three Rivers Stadium and took the franchise’s struggles more personally than most. McCutchen was from Florida, but he shared Walker’s drive to change the organization’s culture.

“We took it upon ourselves to do everything in our power to get the most out of our talent and the talent around us,” Walker said. “We always held each other accountable and always looked out for each other.”

With Walker manning second base and McCutchen in center field, the upstart Pirates won 94 games in 2013, defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild-card game and pushing the St. Louis Cardinals to five games in their division series. McCutchen was named the league’s most valuable player. Stocked with young talent, the breakthrough felt like only the beginning. In retrospect, it was the high point.