Chicago White Sox: Dylan Cease is flying under the radar

The Chicago White Sox are okay with what they’ve seen from Dylan Cease so far this year.

The Chicago White Sox has an incredible chance to win the division and have a playoff run that the fans have been waiting for. Even though the offense of the Chicago White Sox is a huge factor in their win column, a key player in controlling the outcome of games has been Dylan Cease. Earlier in the year, the return of Cease was marked as crucial to show how talented he can be.

The stakes have been high for him coming back from a disappointing season and injury, which are both parts of his past. His performance on the mound for the Chicago White Sox has been solid and he is showing improvement in every start. As he pitches behind the popularity of Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease is flying under the radar as one of the most improving players for the franchise.

Even if Cease has not reached All-Star notoriety yet, the season he is having on the White Sox should not be ignored. In his rookie year, Cease was lacking a ton of control on his pitches and could not avoid getting caught up in jams with allowing players to fill the bases. In 2019, Cease had a 5.79 ERA and lost seven of his starts. In his return, Cease has shown significant improvement as a dependable starter for the Chicago White Sox. In the 2020 season, his ERA for the season so far is 3.33, which plays a key role in turning this ballclub into a true postseason threat.

With the trade deadline in the past, the Chicago White Sox have to work with what they have to succeed in the pitching category. Cease’s well-balanced performances on the mound are crucial to this team because games cannot be won if you solely depend on the offense. As far as the starting rotation, Cease has been essential because he has the best ERA of the rotation of guys not named Keuchel or Giolito.

Even though Cease does not heavily strike batters out, his ability to make opponents groundout is just as effective. The good thing about the young right-handed pitcher is that he does not need to be flashy to get the job done. With the playoffs in the Chicago White Sox’s view, Cease is going to need to stay on his game more than ever because the competition will be more intense. He has received wins against fellow contenders in the AL Central and had solid showings a lot of the time.

He had the August 7th outing against the Cleveland Indians where he did not give up any runs but walked five hitters. Even with his improvement, Cease still has areas to work on, and walks are one of them. Per FanGraphs, he leads the team in walks with 20 so far in the season. Another area where Cease can improve more is his pitching location. He still tends to leave pitches hanging in the strike zone and provide scoring chances for opponents.

So far In the regular season, Cease has done well and he is capable of being better. With pitching being the main concern for the White Sox, his role in the starting rotation will be significant as the season closes and it is time for the postseason. Cease will have a bigger responsibility in the playoffs because his start could be critical for setting an advantage in the middle of a series. As he looks more dependable, paired with the White Sox’s offense and a tighter bullpen, this franchise has a good chance to be strong contenders in the postseason.