Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease impressive in Spring Training debut
Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Dylan Cease made his long-awaited debut in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform on Saturday afternoon, taking the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies in Dunedin, Fla.
Toronto's marquee addition of the offseason worked 1.2 innings in his first Grapefruit League appearance, surrendering just one earned run on a solo shot by Bryan De La Cruz.
Aside from the home run, Dylan Cease was sharp.
He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out three, needing 33 pitches to get through his outing.
According to The Athletic's Mitch Bannon, Cease's velocity was already in midseason form. His fastball averaged 97.4 m.p.h. and topped out at 98.9.
Chatted with Dylan Cease last week and he said his velo was already there. His spring priorities are just checking every other box. In his first #BlueJays outing today his fastball averaged 97.4 and he touched 98.9. He used 5 pitches, but no sign of a new changeup
Cease wasted little time showcasing his swing-and-miss ability.
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.
Here's Dylan Cease striking out Bryce Harper with a 97.5-mph fastball, right on the top edge of the zone. #BlueJays
The 30-year-old right-hander signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays early in the offseason, solidifying the top of the club's rotation for years to come.
Cease spent the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres, where he went 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA over 168 innings across 32 starts last year. He recorded 215 strikeouts, extending his streak to five consecutive seasons with at least 200 punchouts.
Originally from Milton, Ga., Cease began his major-league career with the Chicago White Sox, spending five seasons on the South Side.
His breakout year came in 2022, when he posted a 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 32 starts and finished second in American League Cy Young voting.
Over seven MLB seasons, Cease has compiled a 3.88 career ERA across 188 regular-season appearances, all of them starts cementing his reputation as one of the game's premier strikeout pitchers.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 28|97 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease impressive in Spring Training debut Do you think Dylan Cease will be an ace for the Toronto Blue Jays? | ||
| Yes | 75 | 77.3 % |
| No | 6 | 6.2 % |
| Too early to tell | 16 | 16.5 % |
| List of polls | ||