The Toronto Blue Jays ‘ home opener is this Friday, and their new addition to the rotation, Dylan Cease, has performed well in camp, putting him in line to contend for his first AL Cy Young Award.
The Blue Jays signed Cease to a 7-year, $210 million deal, and it was the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history.
He is viewed as an elite value bet to finish high in the voting, and betting odds have positioned him around +3000 to win, which indicates a high value.
What makes Cease a contender for Cy Young?
Several significant factors make Cease a strong contender for the AL Cy Young Award. For starters, he is a top-tier strikeout pitcher who has demonstrated his elite skills by successfully registering 200 or more strikeouts from 2021 to 2025 (five seasons in a row).
The 30-year-old veteran ace also had a strong season in 2022, where he was the runner-up in the AL Cy Young voting. He showcased how he’s capable of performing well in high-leverage situations by recording 227 strikeouts and an almost no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins on September 3.
Cease is also established as a durable starter who has led the majors in starts across 2021-2024. As well, during that span, he demonstrated reliability by recording 32 or more starts. These are strong indicators that would help boost his chances of being chosen for the award.
But aside from his past success, in spring training this season, he has showcased a dominant fastball and slider that have touched 97 mph. In addition, he recorded a 0.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts across 9.2 innings.
Transitioning to a new team not only provides him with a new atmosphere, but it also helps to tighten his game with solid defense behind him.
With a strong defense, this should help Cease with lowering his ERA and batting average on balls in play (BABIP).
While his numbers last season were unsatisfactory because of his high ERA of 4.55 and an 8-12 record, the defensive unit of the San Diego Padres was not strong. This is what contributed to Cease’s unfavourable numbers in 2025.