The Cleveland Guardians have enjoyed a productive season from rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter to this point. He is hitting .254/.327/.401 with seven home runs and a 106 wRC+. In the grand scheme of things, that’s acceptable production for a first-year player.
Context, however, matters. DeLauter had an explosive first week and was considered one of the best rookies of the season just a few weeks ago, but he has struggled badly for over a month now.
Over his last 28 games, the sweet-swinging lefty boasts a mediocre .194/248/.231 slugging percentage with a .479 OPS and a 37 wRC+. That’s a long stretch of mediocrity right there, and it needs to be said.
Analyst Cade Cracas acknowledged there is a problem with DeLauter’s current performance and wonders what the organization can do to get him going.
“I think you want to see him break out of this in the near future, because if this prolongs into the late part of the season, you’re going to be scratching your head about what the next steps are for him. You might be shifting where he is in the lineup,” Cracas said.
After a rough few weeks, Chase DeLauter collected three hits in Texas. #GuardsBall
"You want to see him break out of this in the near future."
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DeLauter hasn’t homered since May 17 against the Cincinnati Reds. That was 20 games ago. Additionally, he has walked just once in his last 13 games, with 12 strikeouts.
At this point, even his plate discipline, the one that had been praised so effusively earlier in the year, appears to be trending in the wrong direction. If the hits aren’t falling, the walks aren’t coming, and the home runs are missing, the Guardians will need to think long and hard about DeLauter’s spot in the lineup, as Cracas suggests.
DeLauter is usually in the second or third spot in the lineup. His early-season performance made him an asset there. Perhaps, however, it’s time for manager Stephen Vogt to revisit the situation and consider bumping him down in the order for a few days, or until he can show something at the plate.
It wouldn’t be the end of the world, and it could be a temporary solution to keep things flowing in the Guardians’ lineup. They could also keep waiting on him to bounce back at his current lineup slot, because he has gotten better results in the last couple of games.
DeLauter is too good to struggle for much longer. He can differentiate balls from strikes and is just going through a slump, which is definitely not uncommon for a rookie. He has enjoyed success in his last three games, though, racking up four hits. Perhaps it’s the start of the turnaround that fans are waiting for.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Shuts Down Concerns About Young Guardians Sluggers
