Dylan Cease took the long way around.
The Chicago Cubs drafted Cease in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft with the idea he might one day start a playoff game at Wrigley Field.
On Wednesday, that idea comes full circle. Although it comes full circle a little differently. Cease is starting Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series for the Padres.
“Things like that happened in baseball,” Cease said Tuesday.
The backstory:
He’s taking the mound with San Diego on the brink of elimination after a 3-1 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday. A struggling start means the season could be over. A stellar outing could mean staying alive for one more day.
He acknowledged this Tuesday, before the Padres got pushed to the brink by the Cubs, but reveled in the potential that comes in the moment.
“It’s always higher stakes,” Cease said. “It’s always more on the line, which is fun and exciting.”
It should be exciting for Cease. He’s been historically successful against the Cubs, specifically at Wrigley Field. In three starts at Wrigley Field, Cease has a 2.50 career ERA.
Cease also harbors a respect for the Cubs. After they drafted Cease out of high school in 2014, Cease had Tommy John surgery almost immediately. The Cubs helped him rehab his elbow.
“I spent probably the first two, three, four years – whatever it was, three years maybe – rehabbing and just learning how to be a professional with them,” Cease said.
In Single-A South Bend, Cease had a 2.79 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched before the Cubs traded him to the White Sox, along with Eloy Jimenez, for Jose Quintana in 2017. That’s part of the game, and it happened again when the White Sox traded him to San Diego for Samuel Zavala, Jairo Iriarte, Drew Thorpe and Steven Wilson.
Cease recalled how it was an early phone call in 2017 when he found out he was getting traded to the White Sox. He was still in Chicago, just in another organization.
“I definitely have no hard feelings towards them,” Cease said. “It feels like a lifetime ago.”
One lifetime later, Cease is tasked with prolonging the Padres’ season.
What’s next:
Cease is looking forward to his chance to pitch on Wednesday. It’s a chance for him to stack a successful postseason start.
In 7.2 innings of postseason baseball, Cease has allowed 12 runs on 11 hits. He got two starts with the Padres in the 2024 playoffs.
“I want to have some better results than I have had,” Cease said. “I’m excited.”
The Padres have confidence in Cease. Since the White Sox traded him to San Diego, he finished fourth in the 2024 Cy Young voting.
The Padres are also aware of how well Cease pitches in the Friendly Confines.
“He’s thrown the ball well,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said of Cease’s performances at Wrigley Field. “He’s thrown the ball well against this club.”
When he was named the Padres’ Game 2 starter, it’s because the Padres wanted the star power on the mound.
“He’s Dylan Cease,” Shildt said. “He’s got a big arm. He’s the guy that we feel is best suited for Game 2.”