The Kansas City Royals may have given up a whole heck of a lot to add Johnny Cueto as a two-month rental, but that decision is paying off big time as the team continues to pull away from the pack in the American League.
After yielding five runs and 12 hits over 13 innings in his first two starts with the Royals—both on the road—the All-Star was brilliant in his home debut on Monday night against the free-falling Detroit Tigers. Cueto gave up just four hits and didn't walk a single batter in a complete game shutout at Kauffman Stadium. He struck out eight and threw 86 of his 116 pitches for strikes.
This represented a start of what promises to be some eye-opening numbers for Cueto during the remainder of the season. Not only is he pitching in front of the best defense in baseball, the 29-year-old starter has the benefit of taking to the bump in one of the most pitcher-friendly stadiums in all of baseball. From a pure fantasy perspective, he represents a must-start in daily leagues around the fake baseball world. From a baseball perspective, opposing teams better hope that Cueto doesn't get more than two runs of support on a per-start basis. Everything is in place for him to be absolutely dominating from the hill as the season progresses.
Following Monday's masterful outing, Cueto now boasts a 2.05 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in three starts with the Royals. His next appearance for the first-place team will be Saturday evening at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Expect another lights-out performance.