It didn’t take long for Chase DeLauter to establish himself as one of the top rookies in Major League Baseball. The Cleveland Guardians outfielder has shown impressive skills at the plate, which was to be expected from one of the top hitting prospects in the game.
However, DeLauter may be exceeding even the highest expectations so far. With a historic start to his first MLB season, he is among the leaders in home runs, and he has quickly become an anticipated at-bat at Progressive Field.
To go along with him becoming the betting favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year, DeLauter has earned a major nod in the MLB rookie rankings put out by CBS Sports, coming in at No. 2 behind Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, and just ahead of Cleveland pitcher Parker Messick at No. 4.
“The Guardians badly need an impact hitter alongside franchise legend Jose Ramirez, and DeLauter may be just that. He’s certainly been that thus far in 2026. A No. 16 overall draft pick out of James Madison in 2022, DeLauter this season announced himself quite loudly by homering four times in his first three big-league games, and he’s presently tied for the MLB lead with five homers on the season. He’s batting .275/.333/.675 on the year, which makes him one of the most productive hitters in all baseball,” Dayn Perry wrote.
Perry explains that the list is based on which rookies have provided the most on-field value to their teams, as opposed to a Rookie of the Year award preview. Either way, DeLauter is certainly deserving of a high ranking.
DeLauter was ranked as the No. 33 overall prospect in baseball by CBS Sports prior to the season. Interestingly, Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana was ranked at No. 16, but he is starting the season at Triple-A Columbus and was not called up after infielder Gabriel Arias was injured, with Juan Brito getting promoted instead.
Stewart was ranked even lower, at No. 61. He has emerged with a .364 batting average, 16 hits, four home runs, nine RBIs, and three stolen bases in 13 games, following up on his MLB debut from last season, when he hit five home runs in 18 games.
DeLauter made his MLB debut in last year’s postseason. He opened this season with a five-game on-base streak, and, after a recent slump, he is batting .275 with 11 hits, five home runs, and 11 RBIs in 12 games.
Both DeLauter and Stewart are making strong early cases for Rookie of the Year, but there is still a very long way to go, which means other players may enter the discussion as the season moves along.
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