South Side Sox 2021 Player of the Week (ending May 7): Dylan Cease

This past month’s White Sox rotation could best be described as a box of matches. One pitcher gets hot, and the others quickly ignite.

Dylan Cease first cranked up his burners last week, going the distance in his seven-inning, complete game shutout. He set a new personal strikeout record, putting eight Detroit Tigers away in a game that ended up an 11-0 White Sox victory.

Cease followed that start by giving Cincinnati a taste of his apparently prodigious batting ability, taking advantage of the Reds pitching staff by notching three solid hits on May 4. One of Cease’s line drives dropped just shy of home run territory, narrowly missing a historic repeat of Sox pitcher Jon Garland’s 2006 homer in the same ballpark. While he was clearly having a blast at the plate, Cease was also a killer on the mound that night, and promptly shattered his personal record by striking out 11 Reds in his six innings of ball.

Cease’s incredible week comes on top of a month of White Sox rotation highlights, and a combined ERA of 3.16. Is it their competitive natures or warm camaraderie that gets the group momentum rolling? The White Sox should bottle and sell whatever is powering these guys. They’d make a mint overnight.

Rum à la Rodón? Giolito Cappuccino? A Piece of Cease?

Alright, alright, I’ll stop.

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2021 MVP Standings

Carlos Rodón (38.0)
Yermín Mercedes (27.0)
Michael Kopech (21.9)
Dylan Cease (16.7)
Lance Lynn (16.7)
Dallas Keuchel (16.3)
Tim Anderson (12.6)
Luis Robert (11.8)

2021 Cold Cat Standings

Leury García (-29.9)
José Abreu (-20.9)
Evan Marshall (-12.8)
Matt Foster (-11.6)
Adam Eaton (-11.0)
Liam Hendriks (-10.3)
Nick Madrigal (-10.0)

South Side Sox Writer Standings