San Francisco Giants: Selecting the 2010s All-Decade Team

By Joel Reuter

Oct 31, 2019

Buster Posey #28 and Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals to win Game Seven of the 2014 World Series by a score of 3-2 at Kauffman Stadium on October 29, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 22: Johnny Cueto #47 of the San Francisco Giant pitches in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on April 22, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

No. 5 Starter: RHP Johnny Cueto (2016-19)

Stats: 30-17, 3.51 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 385 K, 436 IP, 8.8 WAR

A case can be made for a few different pitchers in the No. 5 starter spot.

Jeff Samardzija, Jake Peavy, Jonathan Sanchez and Tim Hudson all received consideration, but in the end, a brilliant 2016 season was enough to land Johnny Cueto on the All-Decade roster.

In his first season with the team after signing a massive six-year, $130 million deal in free agency, he went 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 198 strikeouts in 219.2 innings, starting the All-Star Game while tossing five complete games and two shutouts.

His ERA jumped to 4.52 the following season and he spent most of 2018 and 2019 watching from the sidelines, but in terms of single-season performance, his 2016 campaign was one of the best of the decade.