South Side Sox Player of the Week (June 26-July 2): Dylan Cease

Five starts, and not a single earned run in nearly 30 innings.

The last time a White Sox pitcher matched that feat, Teddy Roosevelt was President and the U.S. consisted of 45 states (it was 1904, and the pitcher was Doc White). This, plus a career-high 13 Ks against the Baltimore Orioles earned Dylan Cease American League Pitcher of the Month honors.

For once, all eyes are on the Sox for a good reason — a refreshing break from boneheaded base-running and endlessly deranged lineups.

Cease has cemented his role as the team’s ace against the background struggles of fellow starter Lucas Giolito, who has limped through the season. Giolito was the last Sox pitcher to claim monthly honors, back in May 2019.

Cease leads the majors with 13.44 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, placing him somewhere in the realm of Chris Sale in his prime. He wheels, he deals, and Chicago is head-over-heels.

While Cease sets White Sox records that are sure to stand for years to come, he requires a good nickname. Something timeless, something dead-ball to match his mustache. See what you can think up, and we’ll wrap it into his inevitable next South Side Sox Player of the Week appearance.

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2022 South Side Sox Players of the Week

Tim Anderson (April 8-17)
Tanner Banks (April 18-23)
Lucas Giolito (April 24-May 1)
Dylan Cease (May 2-8)
Michael Kopech (May 9-14)
Davis Martin (May 15-21)
Jake Burger (May 22-29)
Andrew Vaughn (May 30-June 5)
Jake Burger (June 6-12)
Johnny Cueto (June 13-18)
Andrew Vaughn (June 19-25)
Dylan Cease (June 26-July 2)

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MVP Standings

Dylan Cease (62.7)
Michael Kopech (49.6)
Andrew Vaughn (44.6)
Johnny Cueto (34.6)
Jake Burger (20.7)
Lucas Giolito (19.3)
Luis Robert (19.3)
José Abreu (19.1)
Tanner Banks (18.8)
Tim Anderson (14.0)
Matt Foster (11.3)

Cold Cat Standings

Tony La Russa (-54.3)
Leury García (-47.2)
Josh Harrison (-36.3)
Liam Hendriks (-22.0)
Joe Kelly (-21.0)
Kendall Graveman (-19.8)
Aaron Bummer (-18.5)
Gavin Sheets (-15.6)
Yasmani Grandal (-14.5)
Yoán Moncada (-10.8)

Dylan Cease used his POTW effort to launch back into our top spot, creating considerable distance between him and the rest of the pack. And the overall tallies for the Top 10 generally shrunk this week.

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Writer Standings

What ho, it’s a new name atop the standings, by percentage points! Congrats, Darrin! (Spoiler alert: As of last night’s loss, it’s Ms. O’Keefe back on top.) The standings continue to be close, however, as just three games separate first place from 16th.

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If you’re interested in seeing more of Mitch’s work, or if you’d like to purchase original drawings or prints, contact him via Twitter (@soxsketcher), Instagram (@southsidesharpie), or by e-mail at southsidesharpie@gmail.com. Thanks for supporting local artists!