CLEVELAND -- Dylan Cease is an overachiever. Somehow, after signing the biggest free-agent contract in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, he’s exceeding expectations.
One year in, we’re already holding Cease’s 2026 season up against Cy Young winners of the past, from Roy Halladay’s peak seasons to Robbie Ray’s dominance in ‘21 and those two years of Roger Clemens, which live in a quiet corner of Blue Jays history but may never be topped.
That’s the ground Cease already stands on. If he’d given the Blue Jays an ERA just over 3.00 with some “wow” moments throughout the year, that would have been deemed a complete and total success, but he’s unlocked another level of himself. With six more scoreless innings in the Blue Jays' 11-0 victory Wednesday night in Cleveland, the biggest win of the Blue Jays’ season, Cease now owns a 2.25 ERA over 156 1/3 innings. He’s a workhorse starter with closer stuff. He’s a hitter’s nightmare who sticks around for the sixth and seventh innings.
That durability is the dividing line between good and great. Baseball is littered with hard throwers who stall out at 4 2/3 innings, but Cease has some old-school to him.
“I have a really good process,” Cease said. “I’m going from start to start and making little adjustments, then discussing with the group what I need to work on and where I can get better. I like my ability to execute right now, and even when I’m not at my sharpest, I can command my fastball enough to get outs. I like where I’m at.”
What’s a “process,” though? That word is intentionally mysterious.
In José Berríos’ peak seasons with the Blue Jays, which were built upon durability, we came to know the persona of “La Makina.” He was always working out, always lifting, always pushing his body to the limit. Cease, on the other hand, seems so much more laid-back. It almost tricks you into believing that this all comes naturally to him.
“It’s different, but it’s really consistent,” manager John Schneider said. “His throw days are consistent, his lift days are consistent and he does a lot of stuff behind the scenes in the weight room. You see it a little bit in his bullpen when he’s got his belts on, the stuff, the gadgets. He’s got a lot going on. He’s very meticulous with it, but not like the workout guru that José is.”
This is where Cease’s old-school approach to pitching meets the new age. Those gadgets, as Schneider calls them, may look a little odd at times, but they seem to be working.
“He’s very aware of all of that stuff. What’s Tom Brady’s thing, pliability?” Schneider said. “He’s very pliable. Dylan’s very aware of that stuff.”
Cease has topped 100 pitches in 16 of his 26 starts this season, which leads the Majors. Sure, part of that is the Tom Brady magic and some of it is a natural gift, but it’s also a mindset. Cease believes, fully and truly, that it’s his job to go seven-plus innings each time out. The bullpen is there to close out the game, not share the load with him equally.
This was new for Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker, too, hearing Cease walk in the morning of a start -- or breeze by them between the third and fourth inning -- and grunt “I’ve got 120 in me today.” Who’s going to question him?
“He’s been doing this for a while, and he’s been durable for a while, so he has a good feel for it,” Schneider said. “I don’t want to just call him a liar out of the chute, either. I want him to prove himself right -- and he has, a lot of the time.”
Whether the hardware ultimately lands with Cease or the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, this season is Cy Young caliber. That can’t be wasted, which has too often happened to this franchise.
From Pat Hentgen (1996) to Clemens (‘97-’98), Halladay (‘03) and Ray (‘21), the Blue Jays have never made the postseason in a year their pitcher has won the Cy Young Award. It takes more than just one star pitcher to achieve the ultimate goal, of course, but it’s a cruel coincidence.
Cease can win you a Wild Card game if you get him there. Get him to an ALCS or World Series, and he’s talented enough to steal you two. That still feels far away for these Blue Jays, but without Cease, it wouldn’t even be a conversation.