Padres’ Dylan Cease Gets Brutally Honest About Early Season Struggles

The San Diego Padres are experiencing a bit of a different Dylan Cease than the more formidable version of himself from last season.

Cease ended 2024 with a 3.47 ERA, and is currently off to a 4.66 mark through 12 starts. His ERA+ ranked him 16 percent better than league average last season, but he is currently ranked 13 percent lower than the average qualified pitcher in 2025.

The right-hander spoke on his performances this season and the work he is continuing to put in.

“I definitely started off slow,” Cease said. “I’ve made some good adjustments. But it’s just one of those things where I’ve got to keep fighting it and keep figuring it out. I haven’t pitched really great, to be honest. But there’s still a lot of season left, and I’m gonna keep putting in the work.

"I think the biggest issue is just I haven’t really mechanically got into rhythm. I’ve made some good strides. I’ve shown kind of more of who I had been. … I’ve kind of shown some glimpses, but it hasn’t been consistent. So to me, that’s just figuring out my rhythm — mechanics and rhythm.”

Cease has still been an excellent pitcher at times this season, but has a few areas that he can improve upon to get closer to last year's production.

When it comes to strikeout percentage, Cease ranks in the 85th percentile of qualified pitchers. He also generates swings and misses on 32.6 percent of his pitches which puts him among the 89th percentile of MLB.

When hitters do make contact, however, they are getting quality hits.

Batters have barreled 11.3 percent of hits against Cease which is good for the 17th percentile of qualified pitchers. His hard-hit percentage on the other hand is a little above league average (57th percentile), as hitters take 39.9 percent of his offerings at least 95 mph or faster off the bat.

These various percentages and analytics should only further prove that Cease is still the pitcher that Padres fans value him as, and if he continues to put in the work, the results should soon follow.

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