Dylan Cease Just Set a Blue Jays Record and Now He's Walking Into the Stadium That Made Him a Star

The Toronto Blue Jays are about to do something they almost never do this season: play baseball outside their own building. And they're heading straight into enemy territory to face the team that's absolutely falling apart in Chicago.

The White Sox limped home after a brutal 1-5 road trip to start the season, and things got worse before they got better. Their planned home opener Thursday got postponed because of bad weather, giving them an extra day to figure out why they're playing some of the worst baseball in baseball right now. They've got a minus-31 run differential entering the series. No other team in MLB is even close to that bad.

Cease Is Coming Home, and He's Not the Same Pitcher

Here's what makes Friday afternoon so wild: Dylan Cease, Toronto's new seven-year, $210 million guy, is about to pitch against the White Sox for the first time since they drafted him back in 2019. And he's already made an absolute statement.

In his debut for the Blue Jays, Cease struck out 12 batters against the Athletics, setting a franchise record for a pitching debut. He gave up one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings in an eventual 8-7 victory in 11 innings. That's absurd stuff. During his time with Chicago from 2019-23, Cease was a solid starter (43-35, 3.83 ERA across 123 starts), but he's something different wearing blue.

"You know, I still feel like I'm kind of fine-tuning things and trying to find more consistency," Cease said after the performance. "But I mean, I'll take that, for sure."

He's 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA against the White Sox in his career, but that was pitching for San Diego last season. This is different. This is his first time back in the building that believed in him.

The Blue Jays Keep Finding Ways to Not Put It Together

Toronto is 4-2 to start the season, but they're coming off a rough loss. They dropped a 2-1 decision in 10 innings to Colorado and went just 4-for-24 with runners in scoring position during that series. That's the kind of stat that keeps you up at night.

Still, the Blue Jays have one of the best schedules early on. This road series to Chicago is literally their only road games in the middle of 13 straight at home. They know the hitting will come around. "Right now, we're not stringing together our hits," outfielder Nathan Lukes said. "But it's what, six games in? It's nothing to worry about. Once we're all clicking, it's lights out."

Sean Burke gets the start for Chicago on Friday. He needed 91 pitches just to get through four innings against Milwaukee on Saturday, scattering four runs and seven hits. Burke is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

The White Sox know they have to be better. They've been getting outscored at historic levels. First pitch Friday afternoon.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.