Sometimes, an MLB team needs to take a leap of faith to earn a big reward. With the league’s annual draft one of the most unpredictable in any sport, one fortunate selection could change the course of a franchise.
Two weeks into the 2026 season, the Cleveland Guardians look to have made the right choice four years ago. Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter has emerged as the hitter their lineup was longing for.
Despite being a first-round pick, it wasn’t always guaranteed to work out this way, and insider Terry Pluto recently detailed how the Guardians took a big risk with DeLauter, who was coming off an injury-shortened college season heading into the 2022 MLB Draft.
“DeLauter played only 24 games in his final college season. He made the most of it: Hitting .437 (1.404 OPS) with eight homers in 118 plate appearances. He walked 21 times compared to 18 strikeouts. The Guardians knew there was a risk because of DeLauter’s foot injury. But they also knew the outfielder had character. They researched DeLauter, looking at his prep days at Hedgesville High near Martinsburg, West Virginia.” Pluto wrote.
Entering his draft-eligible year, DeLauter was considered a potential top-five pick. However, a foot injury that required surgery limited him to half a season, and his stock fell as a result.
The Guardians held the No. 16 overall pick, where DeLauter fell into their laps. With a strong farm system producing prospects such as Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio, George Valera, Nolan Jones and Angel Martinez already in place, Cleveland likely felt it could roll the dice on DeLauter’s significant upside.
That looked to be a very bad bet almost immediately, as his first pro season of 2023 was delayed by recovery from surgery, and he was limited to just 57 games. Yet, that turned out to be his high mark for games played in a minor league campaign.
In 2024, he played just 39 games, being limited by another foot injury, a turf toe injury, and a hamstring strain. Then, in 2025, after coming back from sports hernia surgery, he managed to appear in 42 games despite also needing surgery on his right wrist.
Even with that, the Guardians thought enough of him to promote him to make his MLB debut in the AL Wild Card Round against the Detroit Tigers. Now, after hitting four home runs in his first three games this season, he is among the MLB leaders with five homers in his 13 games played.
DeLauter has always produced when he’s been able to stay on the field, and the Guardians can only hope that his injury woes are behind him for the rest of his bright future.
NEXT: Insider Doesn’t See Guardians Making One Contract Move
