The Chicago White Sox finally announced what we all saw coming. Dylan Cease has officially been named the 2023 Opening Day starter. The White Sox will play Jose Abreu and the Houston Astros on March 30th in Houston. Cease will face southpaw Framber Valdez, who will be starting his second consecutive opening day for the Astros.
This Is Dylan Cease’s First Career Opening Day Start
For Dylan Cease, this will be his first-ever opening day start, as Lucas Giolito has started the last three opening days. This is well deserved for Cease, as he turned in an impressive 2022 season. Cease was 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He also had that incredible stretch where he broke the major league record, with 13 consecutive starts allowing one earned run or less. He would have won the Cy Young if it were not for Justin Verlander’s insane comeback season.
Cease looks to bounce back from a tough spring that has seen him pitch to an 11+ ERA over four starts. While he has struck out more than a batter an inning, he has given up a lot of hits and walks. Spring training for pitchers like Cease is meant for them to work on different pitches, so we shouldn’t worry about his performance unless it carries into the regular season.
The Astros Have Hit Dylan Cease Well
In one game against the Astros in 2022, Cease gave up three runs in five innings with only 4 strikeouts. While that was not one of Cease’s best games, that is a solid line against the World Series champions. Cease also pitched against the Astros in the 2021 playoffs, giving up three runs in only one and two-thirds innings. While he has improved since then, he looks to have a significantly better performance against them on opening day.
Dylan Cease will get a bit of help, as Jose Altuve, who has five hits in ten at-bats against Cease will not be in the lineup due to a hand injury sustained in the World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of dangerous hitters in the Houston lineup that Cease will need to neutralize.
Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Michael Brantley have all hit Cease very well in their careers. Alex Bregman is two for three with two doubles off Cease, Kyle Tucker has three hits in five at-bats against Cease, and Michael Brantley has three hits in seven at-bats. If he can shut them down, the White Sox will have a good chance to win.
But luckily, Cease has had great success against Yordan Alvarez, the Astros’ best hitter, only giving up one hit in eight at-bats. Cease also has catcher Martin Maldonado’s number, as he is hitless in three at-bats. In this matchup, we will also get to see the first-ever Jose Abreu vs Dylan Cease matchup, as this will be Abreu’s first game against the White Sox.
The White Sox Rotation Is Set
While the opening day roster and the lineups are not set, the pitching rotation is, and we know that Pedro Grifol will send out his ace to give the White Sox the best chance to win. Lance Lynn will follow Cease in game two, and Lucas Giolito and Mike Clevenger will round out the last two games against the Houston Astros. Michael Kopech is in line to start for the White Sox in the home opener against the San Fransico Giants.
The White Sox look to have a strong rotation this year, one that will be in the top 10 in all of baseball. This will be true especially if Kopech continues to ascend. If Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito regain their 2021 form, then the White Sox can ride this rotation all the way to the postseason. Regardless, it is nice to see the Sox put out a quality starting pitcher every game.
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