Cy Young Likely Out of Cease’s Reach, But a Cy-Like Sunday Performance Is Vital for Sinking Jays

Dylan Cease has unquestionably been the Toronto Blue Jays’ MVP in 2026. The right-hander has been everything Toronto could have hoped for when after being acquired via free agency this past offseason. Now, with the regular season entering its final stretch, Cease remains the biggest reason the Jays are still within striking distance of a playoff berth. The Cy Young Award though, might be of reach at this stage.

Cease will take the mound Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles with Toronto desperate for a victory after Friday night’s 7-4 loss. The Orioles are now just one game behind the Jays in the standings, while Toronto sits two games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the American League’s final Wild Card position. That makes Sunday’s start enormous.

Cease probably cannot do much about the Cy Young voting anymore, but he can still impact Toronto’s postseason hopes.

Cease Robbed of ASG Hardware?

Cease’s performance in July’s All-Star Game was awe-inspiring. He struck out Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto and C.J. Abrams, while navigating a nine-pitch walk to Freddie Freeman. Cease threw 25 pitches, 17 for strikes to start the game, and did it all while mic’d up alongside FOX broadcasters Joe Davis and John Smoltz. He was spectacular. Yet it was Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger who walked away with the All-Star Game MVP after his two-run single in the first inning. While awarding Bellinger was with the ASG MVP was might have been fair, it should be Cease's performance that will ultimately prove to be the most memorable, and will inspire reels and short for years to come.

If Bellinger winning the All-Star MVP was frustrating for Jays fans, Cease potentially losing the Cy Young to another Yankee should realistically, be easier to swallow.

The betting market has essentially made Cam Schlittler the overwhelming favourite. As of September 11, Schlittler was priced between roughly -1,400 and -1,800 at major sportsbooks, while Cease was sitting around +550 at some books. FanDuel had Schlittler at -1,500 and Cease at +900 as recently as September 10. There is, of course a legitimate statistical argument for Schlittler to take the coveted award.

Cease has a remarkable 2.40 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and 227 strikeouts through 161⅓ innings. Schlittler, meanwhile, has a 2.01 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through 178⅔ innings, with 220 strikeouts. He has also made 30 starts compared with Cease’s 27, as Cease was sidelined for a brief timeframe although he avoided a long stretch on the IL. Both are "K" artists, and Cease has the slight strikeout advantage, while Schlittler is clearly ahead in terms of overall workload, ERA and WHIP.

If, and when Schlittler wins the Cy Young, it might sting a bit, but it won't be as much of a job as Bellinger taking home the ASG hardware over Cease .

What matters now is that playoff berth. Schlittler says he has the division title as his goal, over individual accolades, but his peers, and in particular, manager Aaron Boone have been strongly advocating for his recognition.

"I mean he's been the best pitcher in the league. When you have that going all year at the top of that rotation, that's massive and that's what he's been." - Yankees Manager Aaron Boone

Crucial Start on Sunday

Cease is scheduled to face Trevor Rogers on Sunday at Rogers Centre, and the Jays cannot afford another ordinary start. They need for him to show up once again, as the ace. They need the guy who can dominate an opposing lineup, take the game into the late innings and make Toronto's increasingly thin playoff margin feel a little wider. A Cy Young-calibre performance from Cease on Sunday could accomplish exactly that.

The Jays have already lost the opener in this series. Another loss would allow Baltimore to pull even closer while making Toronto's Wild Card deficit increasingly difficult to overcome.

The Cy Young may belong to Schlittler.

That's fine.

For Cease and the Blue Jays, there is still a much bigger award available.