The Cleveland Guardians hoped to have both Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana on the field last season. Unfortunately, injuries got in the way, and that wasn’t the case.
While DeLauter made his MLB debut in the playoffs, becoming just the sixth player in history to do so and showing glimpses of his talent, the former No. 1 pick couldn’t follow in his footsteps. Bazzana also got hurt, and he didn’t get the nod to make the roster. Hopefully, that’s not going to be the case next season.
With that in mind, Joel Ruiter of Bleacher Report pointed to DeLauter as the most MLB-ready prospect for the organization.
“The oft-injured DeLauter made his MLB debut during the 2025 postseason, and after posting an .859 OPS with 14 extra-base hits in 34 games at Triple-A last year, he has little left to prove in the minors and enters camp as the club’s best option in center field. Second baseman Travis Bazzana (No. 25 on B/R Top 100) will also be given every opportunity to win a starting job over light-hitting Brayan Rocchio,” Reuter wrote.
Bazzana is the No. 1 prospect in the organization, so he will clearly have a shot to take the everyday starting position at one point. That being said, he will have to earn his stripes just like everybody else, and while the talent is most definitely there, he still has to prove himself at Triple-A Columbus.
DeLauter, on the other hand, has already dominated at every single level of organized baseball. Still, he has yet to prove that he can stay on the field, as he’s dealt with countless injuries dating back to his pre-MLB days.
As things stand now, it seems like his health — or lack thereof — might be the only thing that can hold him back.
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