This is the most expected surprise I've gotten from sports. Johnny Cueto of the Cinncinatti Reds is the next Pedro Martinez, but better. Quote me. If you look at him on paper, he is Pedro...at this point in his career. At 5'10'' and 183 pounds he has the same physical build as Peety and in his start on March 6th he was clocked at 97 miles per hour. This kid is 22, throwing 97...AND he looks like Pedro. Why isn't anybody talking about this kid.
Side Note 1: Johnny Cueto is only owned in 9.1% of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
Side Note 2: I have him in all 6 of my leagues, that's 100%.
Cueto is going to be the Reds #3 starter behind Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo in 2008. There isn't too much competition in the Cinci rotation so his job won't be in jeopardy if he can be consistant all year; which he should be able to barring an injury. I believe that if he can get 35 starts this year he can win 17 of those with a very underrated Reds offense who will be led by 3 returning 90+ RBI guys in Adam Dunn(also on my fantasy team), Brandon Phillips and Ken Griffey Junior (cough).
In Cueto's last 4 starts there has only been one outing where he allowed more than 2 runs, and he only did that once. Cueto has only let up a combined 7ER in 11.2 IP in that same time frame. Now, i admit the numbers don't look mind-blowing, but he let up 5 of the 7 runs in his only bad outing of the spring. He threw shut-outs of 3 and 4 innings on March 6 and 12th, respectivly. This guy has dominated everyone he's faced this year.
The only thing that can hurt Cueto is his coach. Dusty Baker has a reputation for blowing out young arms. He did it with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, who were pretty well sized young pitchers. Cueto weighs 185 pounds, he's not that big, the Reds need to have someone spot start here and there to give Cueto a few breaks throughout the year, if they do, they won't run the risk of burning out a potenial Rookie of the Year contender by the time September comes around...
Side Note 3: Since I've started writing this, Cueto's % owned went up .3%, maybe people are catching on.
Let's Go Cueto
2 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Michael Taylor about 1 year ago
Hopefully for Reds' fans sake he is ready. He shot through the system awfully quick. We have seen what has happened to Homer thus far...
He has the talent from what I've heard to be Pedro-like. Though, I wouldn't expect Pedro numbers just yet. He is a rookie, and with rookies come inconsistency. He gave up five runs and five walks in 2/3 of an inning in a game last week against the Rays. Which as you said was in contrast to his previous success.
As far as fantasy, he is not even an option in my yahoo leagues. If he was I'd be on him as a fourth or fifth fantasy starter. The upside is great, but if he fails, the cost isn't as much.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jeff Allen about 1 year ago
It's entirely unrealistic to expect a 22 year-old rookie with no major league experience to come in and do what you seem to think he will. It'd be great if he did, but the chances are extremely remote. I think if Cueto remains in the rotation the entire season and doesn't miss a start, that should be considered an extreme success. He's not going to win 17, and he's not going to be Pedro right away. He's going to get knocked around. It's inevitable. There's no reason to consider him much of a fantasy option at this point.
Remember, these stats you're citing came in spring training against spring training lineups. Sure, he's retired some excellent hitters. But there's a huge difference between performing in the Grapefruit League and in the major leagues.
I'm not sure what you mean when you ask, "why isn't anyone talking about this kid?" - he and Volquez have been covered extensively this spring by most major sports media outlets.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.