Cease Impresses Cubs In Spring Debut

MESA, Ariz.—On Wednesday, the Cubs opened their minor league spring training schedule with a trio of games. The upper-level work groups matched up against their counterparts from the Athletics, and the lower levels faced one another on an adjacent field for an intrasquad.

Starting for the low Class A South Bend group was Dylan Cease, a 20-year-old righthander whom the Cubs selected with their sixth-round pick in 2014 out of Milton (Ga.) High.

Cease had Tommy John surgery before the draft, a main reason he dropped to the sixth round. He signed for $1.5 million anyway and didn’t return to the mound until late last year, when he made 11 appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona League.

The stuff, as it was last fall and again on Wednesday afternoon, is unquestioned. After warming up his fastball at 94-97 mph, the pitch sat between 97-99 and touched 100 during his two-inning lid-lifter against his fellow Cubs farmhands.

He worked this offseason to shorten his arm stroke and was generally pleased with his effort on Wednesday, save for some command issues.

“I felt good, I was just yanking some pitches and going off a little bit, but it felt good,” Cease said.

A cavalcade of scouts from both inside and outside the organization watched his outing, including Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. All in attendance saw the same thing from Cease: the aforementioned elite fastball, a power curveball in the low-80s and an incredibly quick arm. Cease has a changeup, but didn’t throw one in this stint.

The last time Cease pitched in a game situation was also an intrasquad. He pitched one inning against his fellow Cubs in the team’s only game during the 2015 instructional league, which was won dramatically on a squeeze bunt from outfielder Donnie Dewees.

“I think I’ve learned a lot since then, for sure,” Cease said. “The only thing I’m focusing on right now is just my rhythm, tempo and making sure I stay closed longer. I could have done a better job of that today.”

His command escaped him particularly in one early at-bat against shortstop Gleyber Torres, the Cubs’ top prospect. Cease’s pitches were as tantalizing as ever, but he yanked two fastballs well off the plate away from Torres, who laid off and drew a walk.

Once camp breaks in a couple of weeks, Cease will escape the Cubs’ minor league complex in Mesa, which he has become familiar with since signing. His only significant departure, he said, was a four-month return home to see his family over the holidays.

Other than that, he’s been stationed just down the road from Sloan Park, the Cubs’ spring home, rehabbing and getting himself ready for his first taste of full-season ball, which is likely to come this year at low Class A South Bend.

“I’m excited about that, but at the same time I know I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing here to get better every day here before I go out there,” he said. “I’m pretty patient right now.”