Dylan Cease gives John Schneider another major Blue Jays moment after being named the American League's All-Star Game starter.
The assignment rewards a dominant first half from Toronto's biggest offseason addition. Cease will take the mound Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park with the entire league watching.
This is rare ground for a Blue Jays pitcher. Cease joins Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay as the only Toronto arms ever chosen to start an All-Star Game.
Stieb received the honor in 1982 and 1983, while Halladay started in 2009. Cease now adds his name to a short list built around 2 of the best starters in franchise history.
The timing makes the decision even easier to understand. Cease carried a no-hit bid into the 9th inning during his latest start against the Giants before finally allowing a hit.
That outing pushed his case from strong to impossible to ignore. Cease has posted a 2.56 ERA across 98.1 innings while leading the AL with 148 strikeouts.
He also leads American League starters with 3.7 FanGraphs WAR. That combination of workload, missed bats, and run prevention gave the league every reason to hand him the ball first.
Cease gives Toronto the ace it wanted
For Schneider, the honor confirms what the Blue Jays hoped they were getting when they added Cease. He has not simply joined the rotation; he has taken control of it.
An All-Star start carries a different level of recognition. It tells every hitter, pitcher, and front office around the league that Cease has been viewed as the AL's defining starter through the first half.
That matters for Toronto after a season filled with rotation changes and injury questions. Cease has given the club one turn it can trust without hesitation.
His strikeout total shows why. When the Blue Jays need an inning stopped before traffic turns into damage, Cease has the stuff to finish hitters without relying on the defense behind him.
The National League will counter with Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, setting up a strong opening matchup in the Phillies' home park.
But the Toronto angle is already secure. Dylan Cease has earned one of baseball's most visible assignments, joined Stieb and Halladay in franchise history, and given the Blue Jays an ace worthy of the All-Star spotlight.
Is Dylan Cease already the best Blue Jays starter since Roy Halladay?
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