SEATTLE -- Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski has crossed paths with Chase DeLauter at various stops in the team’s farm system over the past few seasons. Along the way, the big lefty has made a bit of a determination.
“He’s not from this planet,” Sabrowski said.
Whether or not he is, DeLauter is here, Cleveland. And he might be pretty special.
DeLauter had a regular-season debut for the ages in the Guardians’ 6-4 win over the Mariners in Thursday’s Opening Day matchup at T-Mobile Park. The 24-year-old (who’s ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 46 overall prospect) went 3-for-5 with two home runs, to become the first player in Cleveland franchise history to hit multiple home runs in his regular-season debut.
What’s more, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, DeLauter became the seventh player in MLB history to hit two homers in his first regular season game, and the first since Trevor Story in 2016.
“I think the coolest part is that he's not afraid of the moment,” said first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who went 3-for-3 with a double and a walk in his Guardians debut. “Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe ignorance is bliss. But to have that sort of a heartbeat in an away opener … just super cool.”
DeLauter was already looking forward to Friday night’s game.
“It's cool,” he said of etching his name into the record books, “but come back and get a win tomorrow.”
Beyond adding Hoskins, the Guardians had a quiet offseason adding to their lineup as they embraced giving opportunity to the young talent in their organization. They’re counting on guys such as DeLauter producing this season as they pursue their third consecutive division title.
So far, so good.
Thursday marked DeLauter’s regular-season debut, but not his first taste of the Majors. He became only the sixth player to make their MLB debut in the postseason this past fall, after a Minor League career in which he dealt with a host of injury setbacks following his selection in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Perhaps October prepared DeLauter for the raucous atmosphere in Seattle on Thursday night. But this is also a guy who was not wide-eyed when he took the field for the first time in the big leagues in a postseason elimination game.
“I'm human, just like everybody else. We all get nervous,” DeLauter said. “The way I like to put it is I'm ready for it to start right when I walk in the building. I don't feel like I'm nervous for the game. I'm just anxious for it to start.”
And DeLauter kicked things off, belting a 3-2 slider from Mariners starter Logan Gilbert a Statcast-projected 358 feet with a 102.2 mph exit velocity.
DeLauter’s loved ones had one of the best views in the house. In attendance were his dad, his stepdad, mom, brother, girlfriend, best friend and his best friend’s mom. DeLauter noted his dad flew to Seattle from back home in West Virginia, and not flown in awhile.
“It’s unbelievable,” his dad, Jason, said. “I know the debut in the playoffs, he was super excited about that. We were blindsided by it, to be able to get called up like that. He's just worked. He's continued to work. None of this was guaranteed.”
The DeLauter traveling party had a great look at his second long ball. DeLauter hit a solo homer off Cooper Criswell, on an 0-1 cutter on the inner half. It had a 111.1 mph exit velocity and went a projected 422 feet, to help seal Thursday’s win.
Guardians president Chris Antonetti noted this week the club is going to have to manage DeLauter’s volume this season. He has been limited to 138 career games in the Minor Leagues, and they will keep the long view in mind. There might be days the Guardians’ best lineup would include DeLauter but he may not be in it.
“It's going to be harder for Vogt to manage,” Antonetti said, “and it's going to be hard for Chase, because he's hyper-competitive and he wants to win.”
The Guardians are a better team with DeLauter in the lineup. They're also a better team with him on their roster entirely, and that’s the No. 1 goal. One (regular-season) game in, and it’s easy to see why.
“Even going back to the postseason,” Vogt said, “when he walked in and was ready to make his debut in an elimination game, he was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m ready.’ It’s like another baseball game. We’re really excited about Chase.”