Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays in November, parlaying his steady strikeout rate numbers and artificially inflated ERA in 2025 into security with the 2025 runners-up. In his age-29 season, Cease was snakebit by a .320 BABIP, ballooning his ERA to 4.55 with an xERA of 3.46. The important stat to know is his 29.8% K-rate and five consecutive years of 200+ strikeouts. If you can absorb a bit of a WHIP hit (career 1.26), the counting stats are there for the taking.

Kevin Gausman followed up his 2024 dip with a strong rebound in 2025, logging 193 innings with a 3.59 ERA and an excellent 1.06 WHIP, supported by a .216 opponent average and improved run prevention metrics. While his strikeout rate (24.4% K%) remained solid, it was well below his 2022-23 peak, reinforcing the trend that his fantasy ceiling is no longer ace-level. The 2026 projections reflect this reality, forecasting dependable innings, solid ratios, and above-average command, but fewer strikeouts than elite fantasy starters. At age 35, Gausman profiles as a fantasy faller relative to his name value—best suited as a high-floor SP3/4 rather than a staff anchor, with value tied heavily to workload stability and ratio support rather than upside.