‘The stuff was really sharp’: Ace Dylan Cease makes his 1st Cactus League start for the Chicago White Sox

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Dylan Cease is in line to start opening day for the Chicago White Sox.

The veteran right-hander — whose name was mentioned countless times in trade speculation during the offseason — took the next step in that direction in his first Cactus League start Saturday, displaying a fastball in the upper 90s while pitching two scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium.

Cease allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one in his 33-pitch outing in the 14-3 loss. He described the outing as “solid.”

“I wasn’t quite automatic but for the most part I was throwing a lot of strikes,” Cease said. “The stuff was really sharp, so happy with it.

“I feel like I’m in a great spot for this early in the year and we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”

Cease said he focuses on execution, getting ahead and getting the fastball in the strike zone during early spring starts. He largely followed through on those goals Saturday.

“It’s hard to replicate that kind of intensity when you’re on the back fields,” Cease said. “It’s nice because recalibrating to that higher intensity is a whole other process in itself. It’s really good to get back out and get to high intensity stuff.

“We threw a lot of heaters, didn’t throw a ton of curveballs but the slider was really sharp today.”

He threw nine pitches in the first inning, reaching 97 mph with his fastball. Cease allowed a one-out single to left fielder Wyatt Langford but ended the inning by getting first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

Cease struck out designated hitter Jared Welsh looking with a runner on first for the second out of the second inning. He walked Matt Duffy but got Josh Smith to flyout to right to finish his day.

Photos: An inside look at White Sox spring training

Cease thought it was “great” to have to work through situations with runners on base.

“It simulates getting in trouble a little bit,” he said. “It would be ideal if everyone was 1-2-3, strikeout-strikeout but it doesn’t always work that way so having to hold runners, do pickoffs, it’s great to simulate because during the season all kinds of funky things happen.”

Manager Pedro Grifol and pitching coach Ethan Katz have spoken fondly of Cease’s sharpness early in camp. Katz recently noted tweaks to Cease’s ramp-up that have paid off.

“The one thing with Dylan you have to think about is his workload the last three years,” Katz said on Feb. 22. “He’s made every start and he takes the ball and he goes out there and gives you 100 pitches every single time. Those things you have to be very mindful (of) when you’re talking about a ramp-up.

“The first year, he was working on a bunch of stuff. The second year, he’s trying to earn his spot, so to say. And last year was, we knew the direction he was headed. Just kind of gave him a little runway coming into camp this year. We asked him to do things a little differently, which it looks like has really helped him.”

Cease described 2024 as “the best I’ve been in spring training in, I don’t know how long.”

“I’ve been through spurts where I located almost effortlessly,” Cease said. “Lately I haven’t been quite as effortless, but it’s getting close and by the end of spring I’ll be pretty locked in.”

Cease is penciled in as the opening-day starter, which did not seem as likely during an offseason filled with trade talks.

“He’s here, he’s in our uniform, he’s our opening-day starter,” Grifol said. “I have a smile every time I see him.”

Buzz about any potential deal has died down recently.

“I don’t even know if there is any right now, but I don’t really care,” Cease said.

Cease is excited about what he has seen from fellow pitchers in camp. Michael Kopech struck out five in two innings Friday against the Cubs, Erick Fedde is slated to start Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, Ariz., with Garrett Crochet also listed for work. And Michael Soroka and Chris Flexen are scheduled to pitch Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch.

“I think a lot of people are sleeping on us,” Cease said. “You see the way the ball is coming out of Michael’s hand right now. Garrett (who had two strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers) is nasty. Fedde is super nasty, he locates well. I think this team has a ton of potential and I think we’re being slept on, for sure.”