The Cleveland Guardians have been criticized for not surrounding Jose Ramirez with enough talent during his prime, with some of that criticism coming from the superstar third baseman himself. By taking a hometown discount on his contract extensions, it was thought the Guardians should spend money to bring in hitters who would complement Ramirez in the lineup.
Turns out, the Guardians may have known what they were doing, at least this year, based on the very early performances of top outfield prospect Chase DeLauter. With four home runs in his first three MLB regular-season games, DeLauter is not only making history, but he’s making some people rethink Cleveland’s approach to team-building.
It has to be very encouraging for any organization when a heralded prospect arrives and more than lives up to his considerable hype. It is so much more important for a budget-conscious team like the Guardians, who pride themselves on being able to maintain their winning culture from within.
But no matter how much they might have expected and hoped for from DeLauter, his first three games, on top of an exceptional spring training performance, are more than they could have possibly dreamed of. With two home runs on Opening Day, followed by another first-inning homer in the next game, and another in the next game, he has already turned around the dire projections for the Guardians this season.
Granted, there is a very long way to go, and DeLauter has a troublesome injury history that has limited him to fewer than 60 games in each of his three minor league seasons. But after making his MLB debut in the playoffs last year, he and the Guardians could be well on their way to getting back there again.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Big Injury Update About Hunter Gaddis
