Padres ace Dylan Cease reveals mindset heading into Dodgers matchups

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease had a strong 2024 campaign, finishing with a 14-11 win/loss record, along with a 3.47 ERA and 224 total strikeouts. Pitching a no-hitter shortly after the All-Star break and being named to the All-MLB second team for the second time in his career, Cease played a key role in helping the Friars finish top of the NL wildcard and make it to the postseason.

Though the Padres were arguably the hottest team in all of the majors heading into October, the Los Angeles Dodgers, their rivals, got the better of them in the NLDS, beating them 3-2 in a series that swung back and forth. With the 2025 season set to get into full swing soon, the Padres and Dodgers are once again set to battle for supremacy in the NL West.

Speaking about the mindset heading into matchups with the Dodgers in the new season, Dylan Cease said he and his teammates will be looking to focus on their strengths.

"It's going to be a lot of fun games," Dylan Cease said, via an episode of the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast released Tuesday [21:46]. "They (Dodgers) are obviously very talented. Really, I kind of just [plan on] staying focused on me, and I think as a team, we do the same thing."

"We really focus on playing as clean baseball as we can. We focus on our plan, our execution, and just see what happens," Cease added.

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Padres' new arrival Nick Pivetta expresses excitement of sharing locker room with the likes of Dylan Cease and Michael King

Shortly after signing a four-year, $55 million contract to join the San Diego Padres, starting pitcher Nick Pivetta expressed his excitement about working with the outstanding pitchers already in the squad, such as Dylan Cease and Michael King.

"I think it's a really cohesive group. I think the communication with everybody is really strong. Obvously, I'm just getting to know the group of guys and watching them throw. I kind of just look forward to watching these guys, see how they go about their business and then opening and engaging in more conversations as the season unfolds," Pivetta said, via Ben & Woods Show.

"I think (Dylan) Cease and (Michael) King are very good pitchers that have done it and have continued to do it. Those guys are really important for this thing, so I'm glad that I'm a part of this group, and I'm just happy to be here," Pivetta added.

With Opening Day fast approaching, Padres fans will be hoping their exceptional pitching staff can continue to perform at a high level and inspire the team to a first-ever World Series win in 2025.