From Toronto Blue Jays On SI · · 3m
Dylan Cease is outstriking even Roger Clemens with the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays ace has matched Clemens' strikeout total in 52 fewer innings, posting the best K/9 rate in franchise history.
In brief
The Blue Jays ace has matched Clemens' strikeout total in 52 fewer innings, posting the best K/9 rate in franchise history. Dylan Cease has 236 strikeouts through 28 starts with Toronto, matching Roger Clemens' total from 1997 but in 52 fewer innings pitched. Originally reported by Toronto Blue Jays On SI.
Cease closes out another strong start
Dylan Cease finished his outing with five innings, one run, nine strikeouts and five walks against the Orioles. Despite shaky command, he held Baltimore to just two hits.
ERA drops to 2.38
Cease recorded his 17th start of 28 this season with at least five innings, four or fewer hits and two or fewer runs. In 14 of those 17, he allowed one run or less.
Strikeout number nine opens history
His ninth strikeout against Coby Mayo on an 89 mph sweeping slider brought his season total to 236. That number leads the American League and sparked a fascinating comparison.
One strikeout behind Roger Clemens
Cease's 236 strikeouts through 28 starts trails only Roger Clemens, who struck out 237 batters in his first 28 starts with Toronto in 1997.
No one else is close
No other Blue Jays pitcher has reached 200 strikeouts over their first 28 starts. Brandon Morrow (194), Robbie Ray (192) and Kevin Gausman (186) are next on the list.
Cease wins the efficiency battle
Clemens had a 52-inning advantage over Cease. When measured per nine innings, Cease dominates with a 12.8 K/9 rate compared to Clemens' 9.8.
Two swing and miss masters
Both pitchers built their arsenals to dominate opponents by making them swing and miss. Their approaches were designed to devour batters through strikeouts.
Clemens' legendary 1986 season
Clemens began a seven-year streak of 200-plus strikeout seasons at age 23 in 1986. He won MVP and Cy Young that year with a 2.48 ERA and 24 wins for Boston.
Cease owns the active streak
Cease has the active streak with seasons of at least 200 strikeouts, reaching that mark for the sixth time since 2021. He has about two starts remaining this season.
Clemens dominated his era differently
Through 28 starts, Clemens posted a 20-4 record with a 1.73 ERA, eight complete games, two shutouts and 22 quality starts. His numbers reflected a different pitching era.
Pitch counts change everything
Comparing ERAs is complicated because Clemens didn't face the pitch limits Cease does. Cease has only 10 starts with 105 or more pitches, and never reached 100 in 12 others.
A new stat levels comparison
The "10-BR" stat counts starts with at least 18 batters faced and fewer than 10 baserunners allowed. Cease has achieved this in 27 of his 28 starts with Toronto.
Cease's last rough outing
The last time Cease allowed more than 10 baserunners was April 27 against Boston. He gave up seven hits, three walks and hit a batter over 5 2/3 innings.
Clemens faced more trouble
Clemens couldn't match Cease's baserunner dominance and faced more situations created by his own pitches. Still, both pitchers were remarkably consistent in their approaches.
Best strikeout pitcher in franchise history
Clemens made his dominance count over 52 extra innings. But Cease has proven to be the best strikeout pitcher in Blue Jays history through their first 28 starts.
In short
Dylan Cease has 236 strikeouts through 28 starts with Toronto, matching Roger Clemens' total from 1997 but in 52 fewer innings pitched.
