Dylan Cease’s stumble in Sacramento may have opened the door for Cam Schlittler in the American League Cy Young race.
On Monday night, Cease took a hit at exactly the wrong time, allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits across five innings as Toronto fell 6-5 to the Athletics. His ERA climbed to 2.40, and with the award race tightening late in the season, that kind of outing can carry real weight.
Cease had entered the night as one of the two leading names for the honor, right there with Schlittler. He still has the kind of season that would usually put him squarely in the conversation: through 27 starts, the Blue Jays right-hander owns a 1.04 WHIP and a 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. But the margin at the top is thin, and the bad start gave his closest challenger a cleaner path.
Schlittler has been just as sharp for New York. Across 29 appearances, the Yankees sophomore has posted a 2.04 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP and a 4.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. And unlike Cease, he gets back on the mound immediately, with a Tuesday start against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium.
That timing matters. While Schlittler has a chance to add another strong line to his resume, Cease is left to wait until Sunday, when he is expected to face the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of Toronto’s three-game series against the division opponent. That start could loom large for both his Cy Young case and Toronto’s playoff push.
The Blue Jays are 72-73, one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot, with 17 games left. Every start now carries extra weight, and Cease’s next one may shape more than just the award race.
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