Cease takes solid first step into 2025 campaign

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Dylan Cease is just getting warmed up.

The 29-year-old right-hander was the first of San Diego’s sure things in the pitching rotation to start a Cactus League game this spring. Cease tossed 2 2/3 innings Saturday afternoon in the Padres’ 7-3 loss to the Reds.

After all, it’s March, not September. Based on the stuff he showed, though, it won’t be long before Cease rounds into midseason form.

Cease threw 43 pitches, 29 for strikes. He allowed two hits and one run while striking out two and issuing a walk. He stuck almost entirely to his fastball and slider, though he did mix in both his sweeper, knuckle curve and changeup.

Cease allowed the first two hitters he faced to reach base before notching three straight outs to get out a first-inning jam unscathed.

“Pretty good velocity, pretty good command,” Cease said. “First inning was a little bit shaky, but I felt like I was serviceable. And for being early in Spring, that’s pretty good.”

The only run he allowed came courtesy of the Reds’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who clobbered a 1-0 four-seamer in the second inning for his second home run of the spring.

Cease did not allow another baserunner after that.

He demonstrated high velocity throughout the day, maxing out at 98.9 mph. The fastball proved to be his most effective pitch by generating 15 swings, including four whiffs and seven foul balls, from his 23 deliveries.

The slider was a little more unpredictable. Of 14 sliders, Cease induced eight swings, five of which were fouled off.

“I think the slider’s the one that still has some fine-tuning left to do,” Cease said. “And other than that, I felt pretty good with everything else. Definitely not in midseason form, but it’s getting better and better every time off the mound.”

Cease finished fourth in the 2024 NL Cy Young Award voting after posting a 14-11 record with a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts. His 1.07 WHIP ranked eighth in the Majors, and he struck out 224 batters, tied for third in the big leagues.

Cease’s crowning achievement last season, though, was throwing the second no-hitter in Padres history, against the Nationals on July 25.

He thinks he can get better.

“There’s a lot of things that we’re trying to check off, and the biggest things are trying to build up arm strength and getting pitches in,” Cease said. “From there, it’s executing shapes of everything. I was pleased with today.”

The Cy Young finish last year marks the second time in three seasons Cease placed in the top four. He finished second in the AL voting in 2022. Cease is in the final year of his contract and had been the subject of rampant trade speculation during the offseason, but he handled it in stride in his approach to 2025.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said the approach to Cease’s first Spring Training start was “business as usual.” The skipper was especially pleased with Cease’s sinker.

“He likes it; I love it,” Shildt said. “If this guy can get that two-seamer going into righties with his elevated outlier pitch, with his heater and that slider, watch out.”