San Diego Padres SP Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease etched his name into the baseball record books on July 25, 2024, when he threw the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history. The right-hander has been a model of durability on the diamond, leading all of baseball in games started and strikeouts since 2021. But while Cease’s profile has risen in recent years, he still makes time for hobbies like card collecting. He talked about his collecting habits on a recent visit with the Padres to New York.
Cease has always seen cards and memorabilia as a way to connect with history and culture. His personal collection, still in its early stages, includes more than just baseball cards. It spans different sports and even other types of collectibles: he once acquired a Gold Star Charizard Pokémon card that he later traded, and he has accumulated several LeBron James rookie cards over the years. Cease’s passion for the hobby inspired him to stream videos of himself and one of his friends doing card rips and breaks online.
2020 Topps Factory Set Foilfractors #326 Dylan Cease
When asked what he would like to add to his collection, Cease says he is hunting for vintage baseball cards, especially graded cards with signatures. He is also hoping to collect more LeBron and Michael Jordan cards. According to Cease, “I just haven’t gotten to the point where I’m ready to drop $30 grand on a card, you know? When I get to that point, I’ll be buying some of the stuff out there that’s wild – some of the Kobe signed stuff and all that is cool.”
Cease also owns cards of himself, though they were gifts rather than purchases. Said Cease, “My uncle sent me one of what feels like every card (of me) ever made. Some of my family’s been collecting since I started. I have a lot of my own cards, but I haven’t bought them personally.”
Beyond collecting, Cease owns equity in a disc golf trading card company called Brixton Disc Golf. Described by Cease as “kind of like the Topps of disc golf,” the fledgling company is still building its brand. While he admits that baseball card companies have had a 100-year head start in refining the card production process, Cease says the basic template remains the same for sports like disc golf. The cards made by Brixton feature player stats and signature features like game-used discs that make them appeal to hobbyists.
Dylan Cease will enter free agency this winter, creating some uncertainty about his baseball future. No matter where he lands, one can expect him to continue pursuing his passions away from the diamond.
2024 Topps Now No-Hitter Gold Bonus #821 Dylan Cease