Reds manager Bryan Price said the instincts of Johnny Cueto on the mound are as good as any pitcher he's ever seen, highlighting his ability to make adjustments within a given at-bat, MLB.com reports.
"If there's anyone that I've ever been around that could simply go into a game and pitch it without any understanding of the lineup he was facing -- it'd be Johnny," Price said. "He cuts you up, spits you out. He's special."
Price also compared Cueto to Greg Maddux -- ""[Maddux's] ability to find that spot in the zone and the speed with which to induce that ground ball -- that's what I sense where Johnny has elevated himself" and Pedro Martinez -- "A lot [of similarities] -- enjoyment, they're so acute with their command, they're so precise."
Cueto finished second in the voting for NL Cy Young in 2014, going 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 242:65 K:BB ratio in 243 2/3 innings.