The Blue Jays’ 2026 season was rough enough that plenty went sideways, but Dylan Cease wasn’t one of the problems.
Toronto paid up for him with a seven-year, $210 million deal, and Cease has already given the club a strong return. On Monday, he was named one of three finalists for the American League Cy Young Award, joining New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler and Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick.
The team’s record tells one story - a 79-83 finish that fell well short of expectations - but Cease’s numbers tell another. He went 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA and 239 strikeouts over 169 innings, making 29 starts for Toronto.
That strikeout total put him fourth in Blue Jays history, and his 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings set a new franchise mark. Only Roger Clemens and Robbie Ray have struck out more batters in a single season for Toronto, and both of those seasons ended with Cy Young hardware.
Cease also piled up double-digit strikeouts in nine starts, giving the Blue Jays a true front-line presence every time he took the ball. For much of the year, he looked every bit like the anchor Toronto hoped it was buying.
The finish, though, was not clean. His velocity dipped late in the season, and he eventually landed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, which brought his year to an end.
Even with that, general manager Ross Atkins made it clear the organization isn’t backing away from its belief in Cease. Speaking to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Atkins said, “We know he didn’t finish with the same power that he had, but we have no concerns.”
Cease is hardly alone in the Cy Young conversation. Schlittler posted a league-best 1.95 ERA over 193 2/3 innings, while Messick put together a 2.56 ERA across 186 1/3 innings in his rookie season.
So while Cease may not be the obvious favorite, the nomination still matters for Toronto. It gives the Blue Jays a bright spot in a season that didn’t deliver much else, and it reinforces the idea that the pitcher they invested in can be the kind of rotation leader they envisioned.
The American League Cy Young Award winner will be announced November 11, and Toronto will be paying close attention.
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