Why Dylan Cease was the Blue Jays’ most valuable player in June

It would be an understatement to say that June 2026 was not kind to the Toronto Blue Jays as they went an American League-worst 11-15. There were at least a few bright spots amid an otherwise frustrating couple of weeks. Kazuma Okamoto rode a power surge to an AL Rookie of the Month award, while Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, and Jeff Hoffman all pitched well out of the bullpen. 

However, it was Dylan Cease who established himself as the Blue Jays’ most valuable player with several of the team's other starting pitchers struggling.

What made Cease so successful in June?

Cease pitched to a 2.95 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while striking out a ridiculous 36 batters in just 21.1 innings pitched in June. He reached double digits on two separate occasions. 

His first start of the month was arguably his most impressive of the season. He held the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies to just one run on three hits in his return from the injured list, punching out 11 of them in the process. It was a statement performance. 

Cease then held the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park for five innings in his next start. He followed that up with another strong outing against a dangerous Houston Astros’ lineup in which he pitched better than his final line suggests. 

His only real blemish was his last outing against the Texas Rangers on June 27th. He was charged with four earned runs over 4.2 innings, but two came in to score off the bullpen after he was lifted from the game. He nonetheless racked up 11 strikeouts. 

It can be easy to downplay Cease’s success because of his persistent command issues. They certainly reared their ugly head in June, as he walked at least four batters in all of his starts except that masterpiece against the Phillies. 

Walks, strikeouts, and high pitch counts are all part of the Cease experience. The Blue Jays knew exactly what they were getting when they signed him this past offseason. What he’s done much better this year compared to 2025 is not allowing those walks to score. 

Would some improved efficiency be helpful? Absolutely, especially if it would allow Cease to complete six or seven innings more consistently. But his ultimate job as a starting pitcher is to keep runs off the board, and nobody on the team does it better than him. 

The 1.71 FIP and 2.63 xFIP that Cease recorded in June suggest that he probably deserved better than his actual results. He's delivering an overall level of consistency night in and night out that the team isn't getting from Kevin Gausman or Trey Yesavage right now.

Ultimately, while not perfect, Cease has been everything the Blue Jays could have hoped for in his debut season. He deserves to be recognized as an All-Star in Philadelphia and should continue to anchor their rotation for months—and years—to come.

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