Dylan Cease was supposed to be the San Diego Padres ace. The first half of this bumpy Padres season wasn’t the best for Cease, and he needs to step up. When the Padres traded for Cease before the season kicked off in Seoul, South Korea, he joined a premier pitching staff. Now, injuries and the wear of a long season have caught up, and the fate of the Padres season may rest on the right-hander’s shoulders. Starters like Michael King and Matt Waldron are performing well, but with a lack of experience, Cease needs to lead this rotation. With top-tier arms like Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish still out, much of the load falls onto the Georgia native. Is he up to the task?
Dylan Cease Needs to Turn It Around
If the Padres want to make the playoffs this season, Cease needs to call back to his 2022 year. During that season with the Chicago White Sox, Cease posted a 2.20 ERA in 184 innings, with 227 strikeouts. He finished second in the American League Cy Young voting. So far this season, his ERA is 3.99 in 115 innings, and he boasts a National League-leading 149 strikeouts. That’s not on par with his best season. However, this season’s stats are about the same as his career. If you remove his 2022 campaign, Cease’s career ERA is 4.45. So, what can he do?
Dylan Cease strikes out the side in the top of the 6th to make it 11 Ks on the day pic.twitter.com/lKVI91iGcs
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 14, 2024
We’ve seen flashes of Cease’s 2022 self during his time with the Padres. Being consistent with that has been the problem. For every one or two good starts, there’s a forgettable one. Cease’s July is a perfect example of that. His first start of the month was against the Texas Rangers on July 2. Cease could not complete four innings, giving up six earned runs. He bounced back with a seven-inning, three-run performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 7. Most recently, he had a stellar start against the Atlanta Braves on July 13. He tossed six innings of one-hit ball, striking out 11. If the right-hander can become more consistent with his deep starts, the Padres may be able to put the .500 mark in the rearview mirror.
Why does it have to be Cease?
In this case, it comes down to a lack of experience. Michael King has been in the MLB for as long as Cease, but this is his first year as a full-time starter. He’s transitioned from reliever well since coming over from the Yankees, but shouldering the load of a playoff-potential rotation may be too much. This is Matt Waldron’s first full year as an MLB starter, and the knuckleballer has succeeded. However, Waldron struggled in the minor leagues, and his heavy usage of the knuckleball makes him hard to pin down as a true ace. With the other rotation slots still not locked down and more arms potentially coming through the trade block, Cease’s experience in the starter role dictates he steps up. If Cease can reflect his 2022 numbers in the second half, the Padres would be well on their way to a playoff berth.
Main Photo Credits: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
