
Dylan Cease was very unimpressive in his first showing at the major league level in 2019 as he registered a 5.79 ERA, 5.19 FIP, 1.548 WHIP, 10.0 K/9, and 4.3 BB/9.
Nonetheless, Cease did have a strong month of September for the team and managed to secure a starting rotation spot for the 2020 season.
When it begins, he will likely be the most vulnerable for a demotion if the team were to acquire another starter and/or Michael Kopech impresses in the minors.
However, there’s absolutely no reason to believe that Cease in any jeopardy of losing his spot anytime soon and this could actually prove to be a breakout year for the 24-year-old.
His stuff is great, barely missing 100 MPH on his fastball at its peak, giving him the type of velocity that can miss bats.
That was clearly evidenced by his strikeout rate and someone of his age should not see a decline in that this early on.
Cease’s walk rate was a little higher than desired, but it wasn’t at a level where it would be concerning over the long haul.
In fact, his walk rate would suggest he’s about an adjustment or two away from turning into the pitcher the organization hoped they were getting when they acquired him along with Jimenez in exchange for Jose Quintana.