It didn’t seem possible that any rookie would be any hotter this season than Chase DeLauter was for the Cleveland Guardians to open his first MLB regular season. The highly regarded outfield prospect arrived with a flourish, hitting two home runs in his first game, four in his first three, and five in his first seven as part of his historic start.
DeLauter stormed out to the lead in the race for AL Rookie of the Year, and even though he inevitably cooled off considerably, with just two more home runs since then, he remains a contender for the award. However, he may have already been surpassed by some of his teammates.
MLB.com analyst Jim Callis has named two Guardians players among MLB’s hottest rookies, with second baseman Travis Bazzana and starting pitcher Parker Messick each making their mark over the past month.
“Bazzana made his big league debut on April 28 and slashed .311/.398/.476 with 11 extra-base hits and eight steals during his first full month in Cleveland. That’s exactly the type of production the Guardians expected when they took him with the first pick in a loaded 2024 draft. Messick’s changeup grades as his best pitch and it’s helping his low-90s fastball work as his most effective offering in the majors,” Callis wrote.
Bazzana could have been even further along had he not initially been passed over for a promotion when the Guardians put infielder Gabriel Arias on the injured list in early April. Rookie Juan Brito was called up instead, but after he fell off following a hot start, Bazzana arrived from Triple-A, and though he opened his career 0-for-12, he became Cleveland’s leadoff hitter in a relatively short time, showing superstar potential.
Messick made his MLB debut last August when the Guardians went to a six-man rotation, but he did not reach 50 innings pitched last season, so he has maintained his rookie status. He is certainly pitching well beyond his years, with a 6-1 record and a 2.21 ERA in his 12 starts this season, allowing 53 hits with 74 strikeouts and 21 walks in 69.1 innings.
The left-hander is well on his way to earning his first AL All-Star Game selection, and could emerge as a potential candidate to start it. Bazzana has become one of the best second basemen in the game in his short stint, and he could be named to the team as well.
DeLauter is unlikely to join them, at least this year, but the trio should have plenty more opportunities to share the experience in the years to come.
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