Cueto Becomes 1st Pitcher Since 2009 to Throw Shutout in Both Leagues

Kansas City Royals pitcher Johnny Cueto made the most of his home debut on Monday night against the Detroit Tigers, becoming the first pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2009 to record shutouts for teams in both leagues in the same season, per MLB Stat of the Day.

Coming off a pair of mediocre road outings in his first two starts with his new team, Cueto finally showed why the Royals paid a hefty price to acquire him at the trade deadline, striking out eight Tigers over nine scoreless innings to lead the way to an easy 4-0 victory.

The former Cincinnati Red only faced four batters beyond the minimum 27, allowing four hits and no walks on 116 pitches to improve to 1-1 in a Royals uniform.

Joining Curt Schilling (2000), Andy Ashby (2000), Paul Byrd (1998) and Randy Johnson (1998), Cueto is just the fifth pitcher in the last 20 years—and first in the last 15 years—to toss a shutout in his home debut after switching teams midseason, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info).

The 29-year-old righty will have a fantastic opportunity over the next few months, as he'll get to showcase his talent on an excellent team that plays in a pitcher-friendly ballpark before hitting the free-agent market for the first time in his career.

As the ace of a pitching staff that otherwise lacks high-end talent, Cueto should have a very busy postseason if the Royals make a deep run.