In an injury-free universe, Chase DeLauter might have made a run at the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2024. He definitely would have a year ago. Instead, he'll settle for 2026, when he'll bring some much-needed power to the Guardians' outfield.
Cleveland hasn't had an outfielder provide 20 homers since Michael Brantley in 2014, or even reach 15 since Oscar Mercado in 2019. Its three primary outfielders combined to go deep just 11 times in 1,691 plate appearances in 2023.
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Assuming he stays healthy, DeLauter should provide pop and a lot more as the Guardians' everyday right fielder. One of just six players ever to make his big league debut in the postseason, he started two games in center field in an AL Wild Card Series last October. He ranks No. 46 among MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects, and no player on that list can match his combination of size, athleticism, performance and plate discipline.
A late bloomer physically, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound DeLauter drew little scouting or recruiting attention as a West Virginia high schooler but blossomed into the only first-round pick ever (16th overall in 2022) out of James Madison. He slashed .402/.520/.715 in three seasons with the Dukes and led the Cape Cod League with nine homers and a .589 slugging percentage in 2021.
But DeLauter also broke his left foot while running the bases midway through his Draft year and hurt it again after signing for $3.75 million, leading to surgery to replace a screw with a bone graft that delayed his pro debut until June 2023. He broke his foot again in April 2024, which along with a right hamstring strain limited him to 39 games that season. He played in just 44 last year because of core muscle surgery in March and an operation to repair a broken right hamate in July.
When healthy, DeLauter has batted .302/.384/.504 with 20 homers in 138 Minor League games and .313/.417/.522 with six blasts in 35 games during two stints in the Arizona Fall League. Unlike many big guys, he controls his left-handed swing and the strike zone very well. He has an unorthodox stroke with a scissor kick and an abbreviated follow-through, but his timing, bat speed and strength allow him to make hard contact to all fields.
Last season in Triple-A, he produced an average exit velocity of 91.2 mph and a maximum of 110.1 mph, an almost exact match for how hard All-Star Will Smith mashed balls in the Majors. DeLauter chased just 17 percent of the pitches he saw outside the strike zone while totaling nearly as many walks (22) as he did strikeouts (23) during 34 games at Columbus. He has a proven track record of handling left-handers as well as right-handers and all types of pitching.
Though DeLauter can display plus speed at times, he's more of an average runner and has become more conservative on the bases since his repeated foot injuries. He entered pro ball with at least 20-20 potential but has attempted just three stolen bases in the past two seasons.
Similarly, while DeLauter can get the job done in center field and played there in the postseason, he's better suited for right field. He's a solid defender on the corners with plus arm strength that generates low-90s fastballs when he pitched from time to time at James Madison and in the Cape League.
DeLauter gave a preview of coming attractions by going deep twice in an exhibition game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Monday, with his homers totaling 835 feet.
“Both of those were no-doubt home runs,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “Chase has had a great spring. He’s hit the ball hard, had quality at-bats, played great defense, ran the bases well. ... We're really excited to watch Chase this year."