Chase DeLauter Names Who Inspired His Big Swing

As one of the better hitting prospects in the game, Chase DeLauter was always seen as a potential All-Star someday. Now, after a historic start to his rookie season with the Cleveland Guardians, that ceiling has been optimistically raised.

Thoughts of MVP awards and a potential spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame are obviously extremely premature, but they would align with some of the ideas DeLauter had as a very young player. He recently said he modeled his game after someone who is on that path.

DeLauter named Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper as the player who inspired his big left-handed swing, which has produced unprecedented results in his first five MLB games.

“I tried to match what Bryce Harper did a lot growing up, just watching YouTube videos. Kind of just try to mimic his swing. I know mine probably does not look anything like his or a bunch of other guys in the big leagues, but I would watch YouTube videos of him and try to make the exact same swing in the backyard,” DeLauter said.

"Getting thrown into [the AL Wild Card Series]… just knowing the team believed in me, told me everything I needed to know."@CleGuardians rookie Chase DeLauter just won AL Player of the Week in his first regular season action after debuting last Postseason! #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/5ostVL55lF

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 31, 2026

There was arguably no more anticipated prospect in recent history than Harper arriving with the Washington Nationals in 2012 as a 19-year-old. He went on to win the NL Rookie of the Year award and won his first MVP award in 2015, and then won his second with the Phillies in 2021.

DeLauter grew up in West Virginia near the Maryland border, so he was in a prime location to follow Harper during his MLB career. He was not drafted out of high school like Harper was, so it took him a bit longer to make it to the big leagues.

Now that the 24-year-old outfielder has finally arrived after three injury-plagued minor league seasons, he may be making an even bigger immediate impact than Harper did. DeLauter became just the third player to homer in each of his first three games, hitting four against the Seattle Mariners, including two in his MLB regular-season debut.

His left-handed swing is unique in the game, as he has excellent bat-to-ball skills for someone who stands 6-foot-3. But his frame also allows him to generate power, evidenced by his early home run surge and minor league results.

DeLauter obviously has a long, long way to go to equal Harper’s accomplishments, but if he lives up to those expectations, he could match his former inspiration in more ways than one.