Five Predictions for the Cincinnati Reds in the Second Half of 2014
By Adam Hughes
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4. Johnny Cueto Will NOT Win the National League Cy Young Award
Jun 27, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t get me wrong here, because I think Cueto is fantastic. He’s in the midst of a career year and leads the NL in just about every big statistical category except for victories. The thing is, though, he has already thrown 124 innings at the halfway point, and there’s no way he’ll log another 124 this season. He’s just one year removed from major problems with his right lat, and it’s probably only a matter of time before that flares up again. Even if Cueto is healthy down the stretch, manager Bryan Price will have to put on the kid gloves at some point to make sure his ace is available as long as possible. With the Cy Young award, you have to take the field over just about ANY individual pitcher, and that’s what I’m doing here.