Chicago White Sox: Dylan Cease is ready for his call to the majors

Dylan Cease has dominated this season for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, proving he’s ready for his big league debut with the Chicago White Sox.

Dylan Cease, currently ranked the No. 19 prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, has been nothing short of dominant throughout his tenure in the Chicago White Sox system. After being traded to the South Side in July 2017 as a part of the Jose Quintana deal, it was clear that he was going to have front of the rotation expectations by the conclusion of the Sox rebuild.

Despite the high expectations, Cease has lived up to the hype. In 2019, he has posted a 3.46 ERA, 3.50 FIP with 10.21 K/9 and 3.29 BB/9 over 52 IP. His statistics since joining the Sox have been just as eye-opening.

You might be wondering, why is now the time to call up Cease? The Sox aren’t supposed to be serious contenders for another season and keeping Cease in the minors would ensure he is fully developed for major league competition and favorably considered contractually.

While this is true, Rick Hahn has made it a well-known point that he will call up top prospects under one circumstance.. the player has dominated that level of competition. Cease has done just that.

In 2019, White Sox starting pitchers have combined for a 5.58 ERA (3rd worst in MLB). However, they are a mere 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot in the American League, four games under .500. Cease would immediately bolster a struggling rotation and would pair marvelously with ace Lucas Giolito.

If Hahn decides to leave Cease down for longer, it would be for adequate reasoning as well. His 3.29 BB/9 rate is a bit higher than you would like to see from a starter, however, it’s more than manageable given his above-average strikeout rate. In addition, Hahn has advocated for his prospects “owning” the level of competition they are at. Some could make the argument that Cease is still a step away from doing so.

The White Sox have a homestand this coming week beginning on Monday when they face the Washington Nationals for a two-game series. This is followed after a Wednesday off day with a four-game weekend series with the New York Yankees.

Cease’s last start for the Charlotte Knights was on June 4th, meaning a Monday debut would have him going on six days rest. If the Sox are planning on calling him up in the coming week, they might be smart to give him a few extra days off and have him debut in the weekend set with the Yankees.

Regardless, this upcoming homestand is a prime opportunity to call up their prized arm and feel comfortable giving him the ball every fifth day from here on out. White Sox fans would like to see more consistent winning and that begins with starters delivering solid outings which has not been a consistent theme in 2019, aside from Giolito.