Poll: NL comeback player of the first half

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

2. Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto had a career low ERA in 2011 and a career high 19 wins in 2012. In 2012 he finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting. 2013 was not a good year for Cueto who struggled throughout the season with a right lat injury that sent him to the disabled list on multiple occasions. His number of starts was limited to just 11 when he’d started a league leading 33 games in 2012.

Turn the page to 2014 and the first half of the year has treated Cueto so well that when he was asked in May if he was the best pitcher in baseball, he replied,

"“I would say yes, because the numbers talk. My numbers are going to talk for me. Everybody else is going to have to worry about their numbers. Every time I go on the mound, I do my job. I have to do my job to get the best numbers.”"

Cueto might not be the very best in baseball but his numbers in 2014 do not lie. He’s 10-6 with a 2.13 ERA. He has pitched a league leading 143.2 innings and is also leading the league with three complete games. Cueto has started in 20 games so far this season and was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career. Not bad for a guy who only won 5 games last season.