Johnny Cueto, Giants pitcher
What’s up: Eyebrows were raised when the Giants signed Cueto to a six-year, $130 million contract. But the 30-yearold right-hander with the eccentric delivery has been special through the first nine weeks of the season. He brings a 7-1 record and 2.38 ERA to Coors Field on Sunday when he faces the Rockies.
Background: Cueto works quickly, something his teammates love. He doesn’t give away free passes, either. His average of 1.43 walks per nine innings is third-lowest in the National League, behind only Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard. He has thrown first-pitch strikes to 71.6 percent of hitters, the highest rate in the majors.
Saunders’ take: I love watching Cueto pitch almost as much as hitters hate facing him. He’s no paint-by-numbers hurler. He’s more like Pablo Picasso, creating something unique every time he sets foot on the mound. He quick pitches, slide-steps or hesitates in his delivery, driving hitters crazy. “I hated the slide-step, because I could never get my timing down,” teammate Brandon Crawford recently told The Sacramento Bee. “So now playing behind him, it’s kind of fun watching hitters be off balance and not quite able to time him up, like how I felt playing against him in the past.” Cueto would never come to Colorado, of course. And the Rockies are never going to fork out $130 million for a free-agent pitcher. Still, an abstract hurler like Cueto could be a very good fit for Coors Field. Unfortunately, there just aren’t very many like him around.