Ever since going pro after being drafted 16th overall by the Cleveland Guardians in 2022, outfielder Chase DeLauter has been labeled as an injury-prone guy. It was hard to argue with the facts: he missed huge chunks of games every year with multiple ailments while in the minors.
The reputation, however, went a bit too far, to the point that most people believed he was incapable of becoming a solid major leaguer who could give the Guardians more than 100 games in a given season. DeLauter proved them all wrong this year.
The exciting lefty hitter, who finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year race, played 133 of the 162 games for his team, and then went on to be in the lineup for each of the 11 postseason contests on the calendar. He did visit the injured list for a bit in June, but it was a short stint.
The player is happy with how the 2026 campaign went for him, mostly because he got to play ball and show off his talent.
“As far as the results go, they are what they are. They’re going to come, they’re going to go. You’re going to have good years, bad years,” DeLauter said to MLB.com about his individual numbers. “The main thing is I was able to keep myself on the field as much as possible and enjoy this ride with the best group of guys I could.”
Those are the words of a confident young guy who trusts his abilities on a baseball field. DeLauter knows that he has the swing, the plate discipline, the strength, and the work ethic to put up some serious numbers, but he can’t fully control how many games he plays in a given year.
The Guardians did have to do some ‘maintenance’ things to make sure he was fresh most of the time, like using him as a designated hitter often and giving him a day off here and there. The experiment, however, was highly successful, as he not only played a lot, but he became the most productive hitter on the squad.
DeLauter wrapped up his rookie season with a strong .287/.363/.457 line, 16 home runs, 30 doubles, 11 stolen bases, a 131 wRC +, and 3.5 fWAR. He is set to hit in the heart of the Guardians’ lineup for years to come.
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