The Padres' Best Starting Pitcher Thinks He Can Be Better

Maren Angus-Coombs | May 9, 2024

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Dylan Cease has emerged as the new ace of the San Diego Padres pitching staff. He solidified that with his performance on Wednesday in a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are a solid second and third, but Cease has been the best arm in the starting rotation, by far. In his first trip back to Chicago since being traded from the White Sox to the Padres, Cease threw seven scoreless innings and struck out 12 batters. He held the Cubs to four base runners (two walks, one hit batter) and one hit.

Absolutely Incredible stuff from Dylan Cease today. 👏👏👏👏

10th, 11th and 12th Ks...(99mph Paint on his 101st pitch). pic.twitter.com/aBzP46S852

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 8, 2024

The lone hit was a 61.2 mph grounder that went off his glove and was almost an out. After the game, reporters asked Cease if he felt he was back to his 2022 form, when he finished second in American League Cy Young voting with the White Sox.

“I think this is the best I’ve commanded the ball ever, really,” he answered reporters which included Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  “So yeah, I would say I think I’m throwing it really well right now.”

However, he still thinks he can be better.

He wasn’t satisfied knowing that it took 113 pitches to get through seven innings which is tied for the most in his career. He also fell behind a lot. He was behind 1-0 to 11 of the 24 batters he faced and only five of those 11 ended in a strikeout.

“I would say I just wasted a lot of pitches,” Cease said. “I think sometimes when you have games where they’re close, it’s very easy to …. try to be a little too fine at some points. So I think I might have done that a little bit. Just wasted some pitches.”