(Audacy) It’s hard not to like White Sox veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto, who's talented, has a likable personality and is a great teammate, by all accounts.
He’s living up to the hype right now in Chicago.
Just a couple days before Opening Day, Cueto agreed to a minor league deal with the White Sox, who promoted him to the majors in mid-May. In the four starts since, he has gone deep into games and given Chicago a chance to win in most of them. The White Sox are 2-2 in games he's pitched this season, and he currently has a 2.92 ERA and 1.26 WHIP heading into a scheduled start against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
That’s been huge for a team that's missing ace Lance Lynn and needs consistent quality starts in order to avoid slipping in the AL Central, a division they won last season.
Both as a player and person, the 36-year-old Cueto has fit right in. Appearing on the “Chris Rose Rotation” podcast, fellow White Sox starter Lucas Giolito raved about Cueto.
“He’s amazing," Giolito said. "Watching him pitch is like watching Picasso paint. It is really something else. The control he has over his body, and I’ve always seen it on TV, I see the center field view, the TV view. Seeing it from the side, all the upper-body (control), oh my god. I have no idea how he does it. I would fall over, I can’t do any of that stuff, that’s crazy. Of course, I tell Dylan Cease and he’s like ‘Well, I could do that.’ No shot, man. You’re like a robot out there.
“Johnny is amazing. Amazing,” Giolito continued. “He was playing great music on the back of the plane last night, having a fun time in the card game, just fitting right in and honestly has been huge for us when it comes to the pitching side, the starting pitching staff. Like, a true veteran. I’ll just walk by him and he’ll just give me a little wink, you know? He’s got that presence. It makes me feel good.”
Lynn (knee) continues to make progress in his rehab assignment, and it’s unclear what his looming return could mean for Cueto. Quality starting arms – especially ones with Cueto’s experience – are tough to come by, so if nothing else, he should be able to provide depth at a pivotal position going forward, whether that’s every five days or the occasional spot start.
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