Dylan Cease laments control issues after brilliant stretch by Blue Jays' top offseason signing

Dylan Cease entered Tuesday night’s matchup against the New York Yankees pitching more effectively than he perhaps ever has.

The right-hander, known for running up his own pitch count while racking up strikeouts, had completed seven innings in three consecutive starts. His dominant showing against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays last week was among the most impressive performances of his career thus far. 

Unfortunately, some old habits re-emerged for Cease in Tuesday’s 5-4 defeat in the Bronx. He lost the strike zone in the fourth inning after looking sharp through the first three, walking two batters before allowing a game-tying, three-run home run to third baseman Ryan McMahon. Another walk before a home run sealed his fate in the fifth. 

Cease gives honest assessment of disappointing outing

“You walk guys, you fall behind, you’re probably not going to win,” Cease said after the game, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. “When I’m in the zone, I like where I’m at. Just didn’t do a good job of it today.”

Outings like these defined Cease’s 2025 season. His strikeout potential rarely wavers, but his ability to limit free passes and ultimately keep runs off the board has fluctuated throughout his career. 

Cease has walked 10.5% of the batters he’s faced this season, which is higher than last year despite his much-improved overall numbers. This ranks in the 30th percentile and would be his highest rate since 2020 if the season ended today. 

Much of Cease’s success this season is attributable to his expanded pitch arsenal, adding in a new changeup to left-handed batters along with upping his sinker and curveball usage. He’s earning more strikes by being less predictable, making his primary offerings more devastating. 

The issue is that Cease has shown a tendency to revert to throwing fastballs and sliders almost exclusively when things get tough. He fell into this trap against the Yankees, as he did earlier this year against the Boston Red Sox in a similar outing where he fell apart in the middle innings. He’s akin to a batter whose entire plan at the plate goes out the window when they get to a two-strike count. 

Ultimately, the talent is—and never will be—in question for Cease. The Blue Jays paid him big money because he has all the tools to be an ace. The question is whether he can learn to trust himself enough to use all his pitches against tough lineups rather than falling back on old habits. Only then will he truly reach his elite ceiling. 

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