3 Big Reasons Cease Is What Toronto Needs

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Was signing Dylan Cease the right move for the Blue Jays?

The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t going to settle for second place again in 2026. After falling short to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2025 World Series, the Blue Jays are after the best players they can find. Championship teams don’t just settle for the team they had before; they do what they can to improve, and the Blue Jays’ signing Dylan Cease proves that.

The one question on many fans’ minds is simply, Is Dylan Cease a good pitcher? In short, yes. However, there is untapped potential. Because of that untapped potential and his durability, he is an excellent fit for the Blue Jays. Here are the three reasons why signing the ace to a $210 million deal was the best move for Toronto.

Reason #1: Dylan Cease is durable

Cease doesn’t miss a beat from the mound. For the last five seasons, he’s started at least 30 games per year. However, he doesn’t go deep into games, as his innings pitched have ranged from 165 to 185 innings. Despite this, he has thrown three complete-game shutouts over the last five seasons.

Cease isn’t prime Justin Verlander, but the Blue Jays are banking on his durability.

MLBTradeRumors put his durability into perspective by showing where he ranks in games played and innings pitched over the past five seasons.

“He made 12 starts in the shortened 2020 season and has taken the ball at least 32 times in each full season since,” Darragh McDonald wrote for MLBTradeRumors on November 26, 2025. “In total, he’s made 174 starts since the start of 2020, which leads all major league pitchers. He generally doesn’t pitch deep into games, however, so he’s ninth in that span in terms of innings.”

Reason #2: Blue Jays Have Been After Him For a While

Another report reveals that Cease has been on the Blue Jays’ radar for some time. Specifically for Toronto, Shi Davidi revealed exactly when they had interest in the ace.

“The right-handed Cease has long been a Blue Jays target, as they tried to trade for him both before and after the San Diego Padres acquired him in the spring of 2024,” Davidi wrote for Sportsnet on November 26th. “Including as recently as last off-season. He was said to be impressed by the presentation, led by pitching coach Pete Walker and assistant Sam Greene, made to him and by the way they answered questions about how they could help him grow into a dominant No. 1.”

When you are after that kind of player for as long as the Blue Jays have, you pull the trigger on that deal.

Reason #3: Dylan Cease is a Strikeout Machine

One user on X posted a graphic that should raise eyebrows among Blue Jays fans. The graphic lists the top ten starting pitchers with the highest strikeouts per inning during the 2025 season.

Number one is Cease, with 11.5 K/9.

Over the last five seasons, Cease has posted a K/9 rate of 12.28, 11.10, 10.88, 10.65, and 11.52 in 2025. In raw strikeout numbers, he posted 226, 227, 214, 224, and 215 strikeouts.

His 215 strikeouts in 2025 rank him sixth among all starting pitchers. Only Garrett Crochett, Tarik Skubal, Logan Webb, Jesus Luzardo, and Paul Skenes struck out more batters than Cease.

That’s excellent company to keep, and the best reason that the Blue Jays’ signing him is the best move for Toronto.

Caleb Kerney Caleb covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has covered professional hockey since 2022, including bylines at Dobber Prospects, The Hockey Writers, and The Hockey News. More about Caleb Kerney