Luis Cessa

Luis Cessa

32-Year-Old PitcherSP
Pittsburgh Pirates AAA
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Luis Cessa in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, minor-league contract with the Pirates in June of 2024.
Inks MiLB deal with Pirates
PPittsburgh Pirates  AAA
June 11, 2024
Cessa signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Tuesday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
ANALYSIS
Cessa spent the first portion of the season with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 3.89 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through 39.1 innings across 11 appearances (10 starts) before being released June 1. The 32-year-old righty will report to Triple-A Indianapolis upon joining the Pirates organization, and minor-league success could warrant a return to the majors if a spot opens up in Pittsburgh's pitching staff.
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Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
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2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-5%
BAA vs RHP
2024
No Stats
2023
 
 
-17%
BAA vs RHP
2022
 
 
-2%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .299 222 31 20 60 14 1 7
Since 2022vs Right .283 246 39 20 62 8 3 10
2024vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Left .436 62 4 6 24 8 0 3
2023vs Right .361 70 7 6 22 3 2 0
2022vs Left .247 160 27 14 36 6 1 4
2022vs Right .253 176 32 14 40 5 1 10
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Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-41%
ERA on Road
2024
No Stats
2023
 
 
-44%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-46%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 7.38 1.77 46.1 1 3 0 5.8 3.9 1.9
Since 2022Away 4.33 1.33 60.1 4 5 0 6.0 3.0 1.0
2024Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Home 12.54 2.89 9.1 0 1 0 1.9 5.8 1.0
2023Away 7.02 1.86 16.2 1 3 0 4.9 3.2 1.1
2022Home 6.08 1.49 37.0 1 2 0 6.8 3.4 2.2
2022Away 3.30 1.12 43.2 3 2 0 6.4 2.9 1.0
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Luis Cessa See More
NL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
May 14, 2023
Jan Levine looks at the latest NL moves and suggests a few players who could make an immediate impact.
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Rookie Mistakes
May 6, 2023
Todd Zola ranks this week's starting pitchers. How do rookies like Tanner Bibee stack up against more proven options?
Collette Calls: Perplexing Starting Pitching
May 4, 2023
Jason Collette discusses different strategies for dealing with the difficult starting pitching market.
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Gallen on Another Streak
April 29, 2023
Todd Zola shares his pitcher rankings, including a red-hot Zac Gallen who is firing zeros to the competition.
FanDuel DFS Baseball: Friday Targets
April 28, 2023
Chris Bennett previews Friday's slate of games, kicking things off with Houston's Framber Valdez against the Phillies.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2019
2018
2017
2016
Cessa began last season in the mix for saves for the Reds and ended the year in the rotation. He missed bats at less than a 20 percent rate in both roles but did post a 3.65 ERA in seven September/October starts. Cessa gets a decent number of ground balls and that rate has been climbing the last two seasons at right around 50 percent. It gives him a better chance at success given the lack of swings and misses, but at Great American Ball Park the margin for error is slim. Cessa might get another opportunity to start again in 2023, but that says more about the Reds' lack of options than it does the right-hander's ability.
The Reds' bullpen was a source of angst for most of the season, but the addition of Cessa worked really well for them after he arrived from the Yankees ahead of the trade deadline. In 26.1 innings after the trade, Cessa had a 2.05 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, striking out 23 against just two walks. Cessa's FIP (3.39), xFIP (3.83) and xERA (3.76) all suggest that he was a little fortunate in 2021, but even a correction to that level would be fine for the Reds. Cessa will be in the mix for an important role in the Reds' bullpen, potentially even closing.
It was reported July 4 that Cessa had tested positive for COVID-19 and was demonstrating mild symptoms. He was said to be feeling much better a couple days later and he joined the Yankees a couple weeks later, but the lost time was enough to cost Cessa a spot on the Opening Day roster. He was activated Aug. 5 and went on to pitch well for New York, finishing with a sub-3.80 FIP for the second time in three seasons. Cessa lost a little steam on his pitches, but his swinging-strike and chase rates remained strong and the results were within range of expected variance. The right-hander has been strictly a reliever for two seasons now and has established himself as a quality major-league reliever, but it will be difficult for him to climb high in the bullpen ranks with so many talented arms in the Bronx.
Cessa once again filled a swingman role for the Yankees last season, making five starts and 11 relief appearances. The results on the field were his worst yet, with Cessa posting a 5.24 ERA over 44.2 innings, but his peripherals were his best yet with the estimators suggesting he was close to a run-and-a-half better than that ERA would suggest. Cessa posted a career-best 20% strikeout rate and shaved nearly four percentage points from his walk rate (6.7%). He also cut his home-run rate from 1.75 HR/9 to 1.01. The right-hander throws his fastball in the mid-90s and has two decent secondary pitches in his slider and changeup, which is the kind of repertoire which would afford him a long look as a starter in another organization. In his current organization, he's unlikely to see a significantly expanded role.
Cessa has served in a similar capacity on the Yankees' pitching staff over the past two years. He's capable of eating innings out of the bullpen or making a few spot starts in a pinch, though the righty was far more effective working in relief last year (3.14 ERA vs. 5.82 ERA in five starts). He was primarily a starter in the minors, as he also made 14 appearances (13 starts) with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. With the rotation appearing to be fully spoken for heading into the spring and a crowded bullpen behind the starting five, it may be difficult for Cessa to carve out a consistent role with the big-league club. The 25-year-old could once again occupy something of a swingman role, but it's also possible he stays stretched out as a starter in the minors.
Cessa was a surprise addition to the roster out of spring training, as he won a bullpen job out of camp. He essentially split time as a starter and a reliever, working his way toward a couple of spot starts before eventually joining the rotation full-time at the end of the season. The 24-year-old struggled at times with command and with the long ball, but he was more effective overall when working as a starter, where he put together a 4.01 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in nine starts. It's unclear exactly how the Yankees plan on using him next season -- whether he'll be in the bullpen or rotation, or even in the majors at all -- though the most likely scenario is he'll once again be deployed as a swing man.
While Cessa cannot match the mid-rotation upside of Michael Fulmer, the other pitching prospect Detroit received in the Yoenis Cespedes trade, he offers a nice combination of floor and proximity. The 23-year-old righty, now with the Yankees following an offseason trade for Justin Wilson, had a FIP below 4.00 across stops with the Mets Double-A and Triple-A affiliates prior to the trade to the Tigers. He then closed out the year with a 3.40 FIP and 34:15 K:BB in 37.2 innings with Triple-A Toledo — strong numbers, but he may have to head back to the Triple-A level to begin 2016 and prove himself to his new organization . He has four average or better pitches, so it will be Cessa’s command that determines how successful he can eventually be against big-league hitters.
More Fantasy News
Signs minors deal with Royals
PKansas City Royals  AAA
November 18, 2023
Cessa signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
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Cut loose by Nationals
PFree Agent  AAA
August 30, 2023
Cessa was released by the Nationals on Tuesday.
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Joins Nationals
PWashington Nationals  AAA
July 6, 2023
Cessa signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Thursday.
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Cut loose by Rockies
PFree Agent  AAA
June 30, 2023
Cessa was released by the Rockies on Thursday.
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Joining Colorado
PColorado Rockies  AAA
May 21, 2023
Cessa agreed to a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Unfavorable environment
PCincinnati Reds  AAA
March 18, 2023
Cessa, entering his second full season with the Reds, pitches in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in MLB. Batters mashed 150 home runs in Cincinnati last season, easily the most in the league.
ANALYSIS
Cessa is currently favored for a rotation spot, despite struggling to a 4.57 ERA through 80.2 innings in a hybrid role for the Reds last season. In two seasons prior, Cessa logged a 2.71 ERA across 86.1 innings, but his home ballpark will likely impede his ability to produce a bounce-back campaign.
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