"Grow it back": Padres fans divided over Dylan Cease's clean-shaven transformation

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 12, 2025, 06:36 IST

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San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease appeared clean-shaven at spring training on April 11, 2025, catching fans and teammates off guard. Opinions were divided—some adored the new appearance, while others pleaded with him to "grow it back." Speaking of buzz, Cease pitched a solid game on the mound, demonstrating that his skills still work (as they have since the beard appeared).

"Grow it back": Padres fans divided over Dylan Cease's clean-shaven transformation (Image Source: X)

On April 11, 2025, at a spring training session at the Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona, San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease made a stunning change to his appearance. The man who generally wears a beard showed up without it, and that’s got a lot of guys scrambling for reaction.The surprise makeover was a matter of much discussion, with people having two extreme opinions on his new look.

Dylan Cease's new look sparks reactions

Dylan Cease shaving his beard surprised everyone. The pitcher, who had seen the full beard on him before, showed up for the training session clean-shaven, and it immediately set off waves of reaction on social media. Fans reacted with a mixture of feelings ranging from shock to disappointment.

One of the fans posted, "Grow it back."

while another simply said, "Looks a lot better."

Other fans were a bit more critical, with one writing, "Bro looks like he is about to go maniac."

The response demonstrated how attached the fans felt to Cease's original look.

Dylan Cease's teammates share their thoughts

about his new look. Outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado gave the bearded Cease a thumbs up. Tatis Jr. opined, "I think he looks better with the beard," while Machado contributed, "The beard gives him character."
But not everyone on the team concurred. Rookie Jackson Merrill was honest in his view, saying, "Absolutely not, all that needs to be said." Utility man Tyler Wade concurred, saying, "Yes, absolutely. Dylan, please. For the love of God, shave it."
Cease himself addressed the reactions, saying, “I’m gonna do the opposite of whatever everyone else says to do, so hopefully they say to not keep it.” This playful approach indicated that Cease was aware of the buzz his appearance was generating and was willing to have fun with it.
Even with attention given to his looks, Cease's pitching continued to impress. In last week's win over the Cleveland Guardians, he blew 10 batters out of the way over seven innings while giving up one hit in his lone appearance to lead both teams to a single-inning, combined game and eventual 7-0 Padres victory.
Such a performance made it clear that beard or not, Cease is still an intimidating figure to have on the mound.
Also Read: Chicago Cubs Acquire Tom Cosgrove From San Diego Padres For Cash

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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