Jose Quintana is the gift that keeps giving for the Chicago White Sox. Having already delivered Eloy Jimenez to his former club, the current Chicago Cub can now be credited for the successful arrival of Dylan Cease. The right-hander made his major league debut on Wednesday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers, and showed why he is a top prospect with tremendous upside.
What went wrong?
After the first inning? Not much. Cease got two quick outs before running into some trouble in his maiden frame. Control was the culprit which has been the case throughout his development. Cease walked consecutive batters before hitting Jeimer Candelario with a pitch. Harold Castro followed up with a two-run single. Cease would hand out another free pass before getting the final out. From there, it was relatively smooth sailing.
After hitting Candelario in the first, the Tigers' third baseman hit back with a solo home run in the fifth inning on an 82-mph changeup that was left a little too far up. Candelario lifted the off-speed offering to right-center field where the wind took the ball up and over the wall.
Consistent control and command have been an issue for Cease throughout his career. It has also been an issue for nearly every young, hard-thrower in history. The spells of disorganization led to an inefficient pitch count. He needed 101 pitches to complete five frames. You would like to see another inning at least from that type of workload.
What went right?
After the first inning? A lot. Cease hit triple digits in the first inning, showing off the elite velocity he has. Meanwhile, he looked much better working a few ticks lower in the 95-96 mph range. He basically lived there after the first inning; likely an adjustment called for by veteran pitching coach Don Cooper. The fastball had so much zip that even with spotty command he was still able to blow it by hitters regardless of the intended target. He maintained velocity throughout, hitting the upper-90s as he approached the century mark in pitches.
Cease featured a pair of breaking balls that are going to be a real problem for the opposing team. Going back to his amateur days, he spins a traditional curveball with low-80s velocity and 11-5 movement. From his time with the Cubs, he added a tight, late-breaking slider that tumbles in around the mid-80s. Each pitch is good on it's own; especially the curve. But with the ability to tunnel, along with the threat of a 100-mph fastball, it becomes almost unfair.
This was the case against JaCoby Jones in the fourth. Jones, Cease's first strikeout victim on a breaking ball in the second inning, fouled off the first pitch at 94 mph. The right-handed hitter whiffed on a 78-mph curveball on strike two before swinging and missing on an 84-mph slider in the dirt. It was arguably the best sequence of the game.
Not to be cast aside, Cease threw a solid changeup too. Sure, he allowed the home run on the pitch, but used it to sit down several left-handed batters as well. Twice, he was able to strike out Christin Stewart with changeups. In their third encounter, he threw the lefty three consecutive off-speed pitches resulting in two empty swings and a frozen stare for strike three.
What's next?
Likely a return to Charlotte. Cease was good -- very good at times -- but there is still some development left. Take for instance the debut of Brendan McKay. Cease has McKay beat on stuff. There is no doubt. But McKay is a major-league pitcher with nuance and control that Cease does not have right now.
In fact, it is unlikely that Cease will ever have McKay's control, but with his natural ability, he does not need to. The pitcher everyone saw today could be a middle of the rotation starter as is. That said, the Chicago White Sox and their fans should want more. I believe it is an attainable goal.
A Dylan Cease with consistent 50-55 control has the chance to be one of the best pitchers in the league. Based off today's showing, there will be temptation to keep him in Chicago. However, I think with some more work on throwing strikes -- quality ones at that -- he can return, perhaps even later this season, as an even better version than the one we saw against the Tigers.