When the Cleveland Guardians selected outfielder Chase DeLauter in the 2022 MLB Draft, scouts agreed on one thing: The young player had power. He showcased it as a prospect in the minor leagues, and he is currently showing it in the majors.
On Friday, DeLauter belted his 10th home run of the year in the series opener against the Miami Marlins. Considering that he missed several games last month due to a rib fracture, and that he is a rookie, it’s an impressive total.
In fact, according to George Richards of MLB.com, DeLauter just did something that no Guardians rookie had done in five years.
“DeLauter’s 10 home runs before the All-Star break are the most by a Cleveland rookie in the team’s first 95 games of a season since Bobby Bradley also had 10 in 2021,” Richards wrote.
Bradley certainly seemed primed for a solid career at the time, hitting 16 home runs in 74 games in that 2021 campaign. But his strikeout issues were too much to overcome, and he hasn’t played in the majors since 2022.
That’s not the case with DeLauter. Not only does he hit the ball hard, but he is also very hard to strike out.
Entering play Saturday, he is slashing .282/.347/.447 with 45 RBIs and an elite 13.6 percent strikeout rate. He also boasts an excellent 123 wRC+. The sweet-swinging first-year player has been on fire ever since returning from the injured list on June 28, and he has been the best and most consistent hitter in the Guardians’ lineup over that span.
DeLauter’s absence was painful for the team because they lost a top producer, but the offense has clearly improved since he’s been back. There’s still a chance for him to surpass the 20-homer threshold if he stays healthy until the end of the regular season, and Cleveland has been yearning for a consistent power threat alongside Jose Ramirez for years.
Maybe the AL Rookie of the Year Award is a bit unrealistic at this point, with Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and Guardians teammate Parker Messick so far ahead, but there’s no denying that DeLauter has helped transform the Guardians’ offense with his consistent excellence.
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