Despite a season filled with some surprises, it has lacked a genuine run of whimsy and unbridled joy. That’s where Johnny Cueto comes in.
He makes his season debut tonight after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He’s the breath of fresh air we’ve been missing in this post-second half malaise the Giants have been. He’s exactly what this team needs right now.
But maybe you don’t remember Johnny Cueto too much. Maybe you’ve forgotten that he was the Giants’ second-best pitcher from 2016-2018, even with an injury-shortened 2018. His Giants career to this point has consisted of 420 regular season innings and an 8-inning, 10-strikeout performance in the 2016 NLCS.