'That's what I'm built for': Cease enjoying role

DETROIT – Dylan Cease would currently be considered the No. 5 starter in the White Sox rotation when viewing the talented group as an entire entity.

It’s a distinction the 25-year-old doesn’t mind when considering the company he’s keeping.

“Lance [Lynn] has been here for a decade, Dallas [Keuchel] has been here for a decade,” Cease told MLB.com prior to Saturday’s contest. “Carlos [Rodón] and [Lucas Giolito] are no-hitter and All-Star guys.

“We go out there and we are all trying to be No. 1s. But it’s definitely not a slap in the face to call me the No. 5 on this team.”

Cease is slated to start Monday at Target Field against the Twins and then should pitch in Baltimore before the All-Star break. The right-hander features a 7-3 record with a 3.75 ERA, having struck out 103 and walking 35 in 81 2/3 innings.

It’s a far better feeling for Cease than the 2020 season, when he finished with a 5-4 record and 4.01 ERA over 12 starts, but also walked 34 in 58 1/3 innings. Cease readily admitted in the offseason not being happy with his second-season results and worked diligently to make changes, ones that are now showing up on the mound.

“Yeah, I’m executing at a pretty high clip right now. It’s night and day different from last year,” Cease said. “There’s always room for improvement. I’m going to keep trying to reach that next level.

“I like the shape of my pitches. I like the fact that I’m able to execute and throw my offspeed for strikes. I’m at the point where I can feel good throwing a 2-0 slider for a strike if I have to. It’s head and tails different from last year where I was trying to throw anything in the zone. I never feel like I’m out of a count.”

Those 81 2/3 innings and 16 starts represent big league single-season highs for Cease. But he isn’t worried about moving into full-season territory in the second half when he approaches 30 starts with this American League Central-leading team.

“Oh, yeah, I feel great right now. I’m 25. That’s what I’m built for,” said a smiling Cease. “My goal is to keep executing at a high level. Stay on the field and continue to not lose any focus and stay with my process so I keep building.

“We are going to have to see at that point. I have to maybe relax my lifting more. Right now, it’s not something I’m super concerned with.”

Burger has that 'special sound'

One member of the White Sox organization once compared the sound of Jake Burger making contact to how the ball sounded coming off the bat for Kyle Schwarber. Even when Burger was struggling to fight through a twice-ruptured left Achilles, there always was something special about his ability.

“It’s a different sound. It’s a totally different sound,” said White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing of Burger. “And he’s made a lot of adjustments as well in his swing and the way he’s moving defensively. He looks great.”

Burger made his Major League debut Friday night with two hits, including a single to right and his first career hit lost in the air by center fielder Daz Cameron for a double. He was back in the White Sox starting lineup Saturday playing third base and batting sixth.

“You always appreciate your Major League debut, but I’m sure he appreciated it a lot more with the trials and tribulations he went through to get here,” McEwing said. “It’s great to see how happy he was yesterday. Seeing the joy he had, it’s what’s this gig is all about. You saw him having fun and it’s really refreshing.”

“Obviously, every single guy in that dugout has had debut games,” said Burger after Friday’s debut. “They kind of just calmed my nerves and just told me to breathe and relax and that was comforting. [Tim Anderson] is like, ‘You've got me on that side of the diamond. I'm there for you.’ That was cool as well. You've just got a bunch of veterans in the clubhouse walking you through it and I'm really appreciative.”

He said it

“We are in a situation where it's not necessarily about development at the big league level. It's about winning ballgames at the big league level. We do have some injured players who will be returning at some point that we will have to make the decision about how they fit in versus some of the younger players.” -- White Sox general manager Rick Hahn