That’s “Johnny 10K” Cueto, of course.
In his debut on Thursday, Cueto got the win for the Reds against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Faithful readers of MLBPN would have (hopefully) already owned him on their fantasy teams and had him in the lineup for his overwhelming performance. If not, now is the time to try to claim him off the waiver wire if he isn’t gone already, which he probably is.
Through 7 innings Cueto struck out 10 batters, something no Reds pitcher has done in a major league debut – ever. Cueto had a perfect game going until the sixth inning when he allowed his only hit of the game, a home run by Justin Upton. There was already a major fantasy buzz about Johnny 10K after his strong spring showing, but now that buzz has reached a fever pitch. Even Manager Dusty Baker can’t help but be impressed:
“He was hitting that low and away fastball and mixing in his slider and an occasional changeup,” said Baker. “He threw the ball as well as anybody can throw the ball. The way he threw the ball today has no age to it.”
Sure its only his first start, but Johnny 10K is looking like the real deal. Did we mention he’s only 22 years old?
