GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- During a round of batting practice on Field 3 at the Guardians’ player development complex on Tuesday, Chase DeLauter launched a deep fly ball to right field. Behind the batting cage, one teammate warned, “Look out!” as the ball sailed over the fence.
Over the next six weeks, there will be many ways to forecast what a successful season could look like for DeLauter -- certainly with each additional light-tower power home run swing. He is among a slew of Guardians players already working out in Arizona, one week before the club will hold its first full-squad workout of Spring Training.
Above all else, there is perhaps an ultimate benchmark through which the rest of DeLauter’s success may come this year.
“A big one is just staying on the field, man, just with the time I’ve missed in the past, playing in and out of the seasons,” said DeLauter, who’s ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 46 overall prospect and the club's No. 2 prospect. “I'd really like to show that I can play a full season and keep myself out there.”
We got our first look at DeLauter in the Majors in October, when he became only the sixth player to make their MLB debut in the postseason. The now 24-year-old started in center field in Games 2 and 3 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Tigers.
DeLauter’s debut, of course, would have come sooner, if not for the tough injury luck that he has experienced during his pro career. The 2022 first-round Draft pick has been limited to 138 career regular-season games in the Minors due to various injuries. He played 42 games last season, when he missed time following core muscle surgery in March and right wrist surgery for a hamate fracture in July.
Coming off his debut, DeLauter is well in the mix for the Guardians’ Opening Day roster this year. He will get reps in center and right field during camp, and while the Guardians will keep his physical history in mind, it’s easy to imagine the impact he could have on their lineup this year as a middle-of-the-order thumper.
During his Minor League career, DeLauter has slashed .302/.384/.504 with 40 doubles, 20 homers, 87 RBIs and 70 walks with 80 strikeouts.
DeLauter’s injuries last season were flukey in nature, though his offseason work included an emphasis on mobility. His regimen was aimed toward figuring out what his body needs to feel like it’s ready to go full speed every day. And given he could see extended time in center field, the work could be beneficial to prepare him for the physical load needed to play the position.
“There's some accidental injuries that have gone on,” DeLauter said. “There's also a little bit of mobility issues I've had in the past that I really honed in on this offseason, along with kind of slimming down just in general. I think that would give me the opportunity to kind of take the load on my legs a little bit better.
“Just hopefully, I can show I can get up to full speed and be on my feet every single day. I think that's the big one, is really trying to figure out how to get my legs feeling good enough to be out there every day and then slowing down to just kind of support that and not load too much on top of it.”
DeLauter was preparing to play in the Arizona Fall League when the Guardians summoned him to Cleveland for the postseason. It was a whirlwind few days, and he noted he didn’t process what he had experienced until afterward, during a drive back home to West Virginia.
DeLauter flashed his skill set over his two-game stint, picking up an outfield assist from center in Game 2 and his first big league hit (a single) in Game 3. The experience carried a key takeaway as he embarked upon the offseason.
“I feel like I belong,” DeLauter said. “I feel like you have to believe you can belong and play with all the big name people that are out there. At that level, there’s guys I watched as I was growing up that I’m playing against.
“It's just being where your feet are, trusting the process, preparing and then going out there and just having fun.”
A season with an extended look at DeLauter in the Majors could prove to be a lot of fun for the Guardians and everyone in Northeast Ohio.