Blue Jays’ Dylan Cease is chasing franchise history with historic strikeout pace

Toronto Blue Jays fans heard about Dylan Cease's strikeout prowess from the moment he signed in Canada. Strikeouts are a big part of modern-day baseball, and the Blue Jays front office seemed to acquire the perfect guy for that environment.

Cease's 236 strikeouts not only lead the American League, but they are fourth-most in team history for a season, trailing only Roger Clemens (292 in 1997 and 271 in 1998), Robbie Ray (248 in 2021), and Kevin Gausman (237 in 2023). Ray had a fantastic run in Toronto that was capped off by an AL Cy Young Award after the 2021 season.

Cease was in the middle of AL Cy Young conversations for a large portion of this season, until a few wayward starts and a competitor on the New York Yankees stole the spotlight. With approximately two starts left in the regular season, he should easily clear the Gausman and Ray hurdles. Touching Clemens will be another story itself.

Cease is pitching to a 2.38 ERA (185 ERA+),1.064 WHIP in 166.1 innings pitched. His 5.6 fWAR is fantastic. Although he is handing out free passes at a slightly-elevated 10.8% clip, Cease is still posting a 35.3% strikeout rate while keeping the ball in the yard (AL-leading 0.6 HR/9).

Dylan Cease may come up just short in the Cy Young Award race

While Cease is having a season worth celebrating, some guy named Cam Schlittler on the Yankees seems poised to steal the award this autumn. Schlittler, who is authoring a stretch in which he has given up one earned run or fewer in 23 of his 31 starts this season, is pitching to an AL-leading 1.95 ERA and 0.904 WHIP in 184.2 innings pitched.

Nonetheless, Cease has lived up to the billing. This is a Toronto franchise that has witnessed a long list of outstanding pitchers throughout their 50 years of existence.

It seems that concerns about his elevated 4.55 ERA were slightly overblown. He still posted 215 strikeouts over 168 innings that season. At the end of the day, Cease is the perfect fit for front offices that crave swing-and-miss. Cease has benefited greatly from an improved Blue Jays defense that he didn't possess in San Diego. The Blue Jays rank fifth in total defensive runs saved, eleventh in outs above average, and second in fielding run value according to Fangraphs.

In a pivotal game against the Baltimore Orioles in mid-September amid questions about his flagging velocity, Cease escaped a mess that he had created. He sandwiched a single around two walks, but responded by striking out the next three Orioles batters.

Cease is emerging as a leader not only on the mound, but also in the clubhouse. His multitude of hobbies have been well-documented, but the fact that he will still reside in Toronto for another six more seasons seems like a steal. He'll only be 31-years-old in December, and the Blue Jays can count on solid production for at least a few more years.

The Blue Jays will need Cease down the stretch, especially as their rotational depth is being tested all the time. The front office has been nailing it with their pitching maneuvers recently. Getting José Soriano in a trade to pair with Cease and Trey Yesavage will help Toronto keep its competitive window open.

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