The Chicago White Sox, at this point, are a long-shot to make the postseason.
They are seven full games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the AL Central lead, and the Wild Card spots may be out of reach, too.
That doesn’t mean they don’t have elite players, though.
Dylan Cease, more than just an elite performer, is a legitimate Cy Young candidate in the American League.
His 2.13 ERA in 173 frames should force voters to give him a long look for the award, and the fact he has struck out 217 hitters strengthens his case.
Cease can touch the triple digits with his fastball if he needs to, and has a good curveball.
The slider, however, is his bread and butter and his best pitch by a mile.
Dylan Cease has an elite slider. 👀
(MLBStats x @googlecloud) pic.twitter.com/0DaUygHf8C
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) September 20, 2022
What Exactly Is Run Value And Why Is Cease’s Slider So Good?
As the image states, run value measures the impact of each event based on runners on bas, outs and count.
The negative number means how many runs the pitcher has prevented with that particular pitch.
Cease’s slider is, as you can see, the best and most powerful weapon in the big leagues.
In fact, it’s so good that he throws it even more often than the fastball, which is a rarity.
By whiff rate, which calculates whiffs per swing, his slider checks in at 44.4 percent.
It means that when hitters offer at his slider, they find nothing but wind almost half of the time.
That, for a starter, is amazing.
Cease has bee good before, even last year when he had a 3.91 ERA.
This is his breakout party, though, and it could end up with a nice award to recognize his excellence.
