Analyst Has An Interesting Comparison For Chase DeLauter

Chase DeLauter has come back down to earth after his brilliant start, but he is not slumping. Quite the contrary, in fact, he is still taking quality at-bats. Some of his batted balls aren’t falling for hits, but his .366 xwOBA suggests his plate discipline and quality of contact have been fine.

His last home run came in the Guardians’ home opener, which was a while ago, yet manager Stephen Vogt keeps sending him out there because he knows the player makes things happen.

DeLauter’s swing is unique: a short, explosive motion that activates every part of his body to hit the ball hard. A good baseball comp for it would be Chase Utley, who had a similarly short, compact swing. However, analyst Pat McGuire compared it to a golf superstar.

“I think Chase DeLauter, long-term, can be really great. His swing is so unbelievable. Think back to that home run he hit in Seattle, he looked like Scottie Scheffler on his driver. He’s got both feet moving at the same time, and, somehow, he’s able to hit it 350 out on the left side. Chase DeLauter, the sky is the limit with that kid,” McGuire said.

As he rides out the heater of all heaters, @p_mcguire18 has an UNREAL swing comp for Chase DeLauter. #GuardsBall

"The sky is the limit with that kid." pic.twitter.com/qZXFqD5Moy

— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) April 28, 2026

DeLauter has proved this year that he can turn on an inside fastball and send it to the right field bleachers, and he can also extend his arms to reach a heater up and away to lift it over the left field wall, as he did in Seattle against Andres Munoz.

His excellent plate coverage is a direct result of his hitting mechanics, which allow him to reach balls that most hitters usually can’t. In this case, he homered against one of the best closers in the game early in the season, and few hitters can say that.

DeLauter not only moves his front foot in his mechanics: he also drags his back foot, the left one, in the motion. It is very similar to Scheffler’s drive, as you can see right here:

Some consider it pretty and practical; others believe it’s not aesthetically pleasing. Regardless of what people think, DeLauter’s swing is working, and you don’t fix what isn’t broken. He is sporting a 126 wRC+ and a .822 OPS, so he is enjoying a fantastic debut season.