Dylan Cease Fans Two in Padres Debut Against KBO’s LG Twins
Less than a week ago, Dylan Cease was with the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz., for spring training as he ramped up for the 2024 season. Now, the right-handed starter is in a different country with a new organization for the first time in his career.
Cease, acquired by the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster with the White Sox last Wednesday, has dealt with an unconventional transition period as he prepares to enter his sixth big-league campaign.
Unlike the package of players sent the other way, which included three prospects – right-handers Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte and outfielder Samuel Zavala – and veteran right-hander Steven Wilson, Cease had to locate his passport so he could meet up with his new teammates in South Korea for MLB’s Seoul Series.
The Padres’ private charter departed Wednesday night, meaning the 2022 American League Cy Young runner-up had to fly commercial overseas before arriving on Saturday. Then, just one day later, the 28-year-old debuted with his new team against the KBO’s LG Twins.
Making his fourth exhibition start of the spring, Cease threw 30 pitches (19 strikes) across two innings of one-run ball, allowing one hit while striking out a pair. He induced seven swinging strikes on 16 swings, five of which came via his wipeout slider.
Even with a hectic lead-up, the 6-foot-2 righty impressed during his first, albeit brief, outing as a Padre at the Gocheok SkyDome, the Kiwoom Heroes’ home ballpark. And he provided an early taste of what fans have to look forward to this season.
The explosiveness of his fastball was on display, as it averaged 97 mph and topped out at 97.6 while dominating the top of the strike zone, with all but one of his 11 four-seamers finishing in the upper half. That played into his north-south game plan, setting up his slider in the lower quadrant.
With its high-spin profile, featuring a 2,819-RPM average spin rate Sunday night, opposing hitters were outmatched by Cease’s slider, which was responsible for both of his punchouts.
The former White Sox’s only blemish was a 405-foot second-inning blast from shortstop Ji Hwan Oh, a 105.8-mph rocket off a middle-middle breaking ball that cleared the right field wall.
That solo shot, however, proved insufficient amidst Ha-Seong Kim’s remarkable homecoming performance, as the former KBO superstar slugged two home runs of his own while cashing four in San Diego’s 5-4 victory over the LG Twins.
Cease came as advertised during his two-inning performance, and it certainly drew manager Mike Shildt’s attention. While the two likely haven’t had much time for an introduction, the Padres skipper was blown away by his newest addition’s first impression.
So far, the Milton, Georgia, native looks poised to bounce back from last season’s sub-par showing, striking out 14 batters over 8.1 innings in three starts before joining San Diego. He also held the opposition to just two earned runs on six hits and two walks, earning a 2.16 ERA.
“I feel great,” Cease told The Athletic heading into his Padres debut. “I’m just in a really good rhythm right now. I feel like I made some adjustments. And I’ve done some things that have really helped me to command the ball more consistently, which… when things go wrong for me, and for most pitchers in general, it’s usually command. I always had the stuff, but right now I’m putting it where I want to.”
Cease won’t pitch in the Padres’ two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that’ll kick off the regular season later this week. But he could make his final spring training appearance next week after the club returns home for a two-game set versus the Seattle Mariners.
San Diego will likely have him follow Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove in the rotation. From there, Cease will attempt to rebound from last season’s 4.58 ERA and return to his 2022 form, where he posted a career-best 2.20 ERA and his highest strikeout total (227).
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Lee Sung Woo. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.