Blue Jays' Dylan Cease first to log at least 7 Ks in 19 consecutive starts in a season since Randy Johnson in 2001

The race for this year's AL Cy Young Award is heating up. There was no cease fire on Friday night. While New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler delivered eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball during a series-opening 1-0 win over the rival Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays righty Dylan Cease matched with eight Ks of his own. Schlittler, 25, eclipsed the 200-punchout barrier, joining Cease in that rare August air. However, Cease made some swing-and-miss history amid an 8-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. For the 19th consecutive start, the 30-year-old Cease piled up at least seven strikeouts. The last player to string together that many outings like that in a single season was Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in 2001, according to MLB.com . Dylan Cease has recorded at least 7 Ks in 19 consecutive starts! The last pitcher to do that in a single season was Randy Johnson in 2001 😯 pic.twitter.com/1gWJNjNuq6 — MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2026 Johnson won one of his five Cy Young Awards — and his four straight with the Arizona Diamondbacks — that season. The towering lefty also took home World Series MVP that year. His streak of games with seven-plus strikeouts ran to 20 games. Cease can tie Johnson during his next start for a 66-70 Blue Jays squad that's scrapping for positioning in the wild-card hunt. He went six innings and gave up the Mariners' lone run Friday. Both Schlittler and Cease made this year's All-Star Game. Cease, who began his stay with the Blue Jays with an auspicious 12 K-spectacle back in March , got the starting nod for the Midsummer Classic . Before that exhibition in July, Cease teased his second career no-hitter (his first came with the San Diego Padres in 2024). Later that month, he spun a complete game, one-hit shutout . Schlittler has the edge in the ERA department at the moment and is the frontrunner for the Cy Young Award in the AL, but Cease trails only Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski for the major-league lead in strikeouts this season. And his Ks don't seem to be slowing their roll anytime soon.