July 3rd, 2019 marked the first of 123 starts that Dylan Cease made in a White Sox uniform. A crowd surrounded the White Sox bullpen as the time grew closer to 1 pm. It was the first game of a double-header against the Detroit Tigers and fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the promising 23-year-old right-hander ahead of his major league debut.
Minutes later Cease took the Guaranteed Rate Field mound for the first time to a standing ovation. His first pitch resulted in an out, and just like that the Cease era in Chicago was underway. The next inning Jacoby Jones became the first batter to fall victim to a Cease 85 mph slider. It was a sight that White Sox fans would grow accustomed to five years and 792 strikeouts later. By the end of the day, Cease had notched his first career victory, and the White Sox had swept the doubleheader, thanks in part to a multi-home run performance from Yoan Moncada and some extra-inning heroics from Jose Abreu.
Flash forward to Thursday and Cease was reminiscing about his time in Chicago as he prepared for a fresh start in San Diego.
“I thought we would have more time together but nothing is ever guaranteed. I can’t believe how fast the time went,” Cease wrote in a lengthy Instagram post bidding farewell to Chicago. “I have so many special experiences and memories that I will never forget. It’s never easy to say goodbye.”
Dylan Cease had an interesting legacy on the South Side. He never made an All-Star team or won a playoff game. But he also produced several memorable moments including a dominant start on Opening Day against the defending champion Houston Astros, winning AL pitcher of the month in back-to-back months, and a near no-hitter in a nationally televised game against the Minnesota Twins. The game was highlighted by Cease walking off the mound in the eighth inning with his arms in the air as if to say “Are you not entertained.” Through it all he emerged as a fan favorite.
There were growing pains at first as fans watched him struggle with command, something that is still not one of his strong suits. In 2020 he led the league in walks. In 2021 he led the league in wild pitches. But in each of his first four seasons, he slowly improved.
During his rookie year, he posted a 5.79 ERA in 14 starts. The following year he lowered it to 4.01. It fell to 3.91 in 2021 culminating in a 2.20 mark in 2022 which helped earn him a second place finish in the AL Cy Young voting. During that stretch
While the results weren’t always there his stuff was captivating to watch. In 2021 he set a White Sox franchise record with 12.28 SO/9.0 IP. In 2022 he limited opponents to a .190 batting average, a .306 slugging percentage, and averaged 11.10 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranked third in the MLB. He also ranked fifth in the MLB with 227 strikeouts, marking the second consecutive season he had recorded a 220-plus strikeout season. A big reason why was his slider, which was graded as the best pitch in baseball that season.
Cease’s final year with the White Sox was a forgettable one. He posted a 7-9 record with a 4.58 ERA in 177 innings of work. His WHIP also increased to 1.42. While he did manage to rack up 214 strikeouts he surrendered 172 hits, 46 more than the previous season. Opponents hard-hit percentage off Cease also increased from 31.2 in 2022 (which was in the top seven percent of the MLB) to 41.6 in 2023.
Despite all the ups and downs Cease always stayed even-keeled. He was one of the more unique and cerebral players the White Sox have had. Cease is the only player in franchise history to wear the number 84. When asked why he chose 84 Cease declined to comment. He practiced yoga and meditated. He wrote poems about his slider and spent his offseasons playing frisbee golf and building frisbee golf courses.
Cease also endured himself to the fans. If you have scrolled through social media the last several days there have been dozens of stories of fans sharing their positive experiences interacting with him. While it appeared that Cease was ready to leave for a contender he still kept things classy on the way out.
“Thank you to all the fans who love and support the team. Sox fans are some the most passionate in baseball,” Cease wrote in his farewell message. “Good luck to the Sox this year and I hope big things happen for the organization moving forward.”
Thanks for the memories, Dylan.
