Veteran starting pitcher Johnny Cueto made his season debut for the Los Angeles Angels in Wednesday’s game. The 38-year-old righty had his contract selected by the Angeles and he kicked off his 17th season in the big leagues at a familiar stadium.

Cueto’s first start of 2024 came against the Kansas City Royals. The veteran pitcher only spent part of one season of his very long career with the Royals. However, it was a memorable one as Cueto helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series. Royals fans certainly remembered and they paid tribute to Cueto’s accomplishments with a long ovation when he was taken out of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, per MLB’s official account on X.

Cueto was traded to the Royals after eight seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. Despite struggling during the regular season in Kansas City, Cueto helped his new club achieve baseball immortality in the postseason.

The savvy pitcher enjoyed two solid starts in the ALDS against the Houston Astros in which he went 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 0.857 WHIP and 8.4 K/9. He pitched poorly against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Championship Series, only lasting two innings and allowing eight earned runs on six hits and four walks in his sole ALCS start.

However, Cueto rebounded in the World Series. He started game two and performed brilliantly against the New York Mets, allowing just two hits and one run in a complete game victory. Only Lucas Duda was able to get a hit off Cueto in his epic start, as he accounted for both Mets hits in the game.

Royals fans show love for Johnny Cueto in return to KC

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Aug 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (36) pitches during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Cueto’s remarkable outing gave the Royals a 2-0 series lead. It would be his only start in the series as Kansas City would go on to win the title in five games.

The following season Cueto would move on to San Francisco. The two-time All-Star spent the next six years of his career with the Giants. But Royals fans never forgot his incredible contribution to the team’s 2015 championship. Kansas City hasn’t been back to the postseason since that World Series.

Cueto appeared to be done with baseball after a subpar age-37 season with the Miami Marlins in 2023. He went 1-4 with a 6.02 ERA, 1.261 WHIP, 6.7 K/9 and an ERA+ of 78 in 52.1 innings for the Marlins last year. He had been pitching in the minors this season but opted out of his contract with the Texas Rangers. Cueto then landed in the Angels’ farm system and had been starting for the team’s Triple-A affiliate.

The Angels are 19 games below .500 and 14.5 games behind the first place Houston Astros in the AL West. The team needs pitchers to eat up innings as the Angels play out a lost season. So Los Angeles selected Cueto’s contract and brought him back to the majors where he belongs.

Cueto went 6.1 innings in his debut for the Angels. He gave up eight hits and three earned runs to the Royals while picking up the loss in a 3-0 defeat. Despite the outcome, Royals fans gave Cueto a moment he won’t soon forget.