Braves vs Blue Jays: Starting Lineup - Game Preview

Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease will take the bump versus Braves 22-year old rookie righty JR Ritchie this afternoon. First Pitch 1:07 PM ET on Sportsnet.

Blue Jays newly acquired ace Dylan Cease will make his second start of spring today.

Cease impressed in his abbreviated Blue Jays debut against the Philadelphia Phillies, he allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out three, needing 33 pitches to get through his outing.

Two of Cease's three strikeouts came in the opening inning against Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, an early indication of the overpowering arsenal that made him one of the most coveted arms on the market this winter.

Cease's velocity was already in midseason form. His fastball averaged 97.4 m.p.h. and topped out at 98.9.

Rookie JR Ritchie gets the ball for Atlanta Today. Ritchie dominated Single-A in seven starts with a 1.30 ERA and 0.79 WHIP, then carried that momentum to Double-A and eventually Triple-A.

He finished the 2025 minor-league season with a 2.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and an impressive 15.2% strikeout-to-walk percentage.

That performance earned him the starting nod in the Futures Game in Atlanta as well.

Ritchie features a deep arsenal of four to five pitches, with strong metrics on his fastball, slider, and changeup.

Given the natural volatility of pitching depth, it would not be surprising to see him in Atlanta sooner rather than later.

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