Heading into the 2026 campaign, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter was seen as a promising, yet extremely injury-prone player who might, someday, develop into a reliable contributor.
He was able to remain healthy in the offseason and for most of the spring, except for a brief pause to deal with a lower-body issue in the Cactus League. It turns out that health was all he needed all along.
We are in the middle of April, yet the world can see what DeLauter is made of. He entered Monday hitting .300 with a 198 wRC+ that ranked fifth in the league, five homers, and 12 RBI. He also has almost as many walks, seven, as strikeouts (10).
Simply put, there isn’t a single thing this kid can’t do offensively. It’s still not clear how much he will contribute defensively, and in the baserunning department, and to be fair, the sample might not be big enough to fully anoint him as a star at the plate yet. However, it’s hard not to get excited about the offensive profile because everything about it screams sustainability and staying power.
Some, like former general manager and current analyst Jim Bowden, believe he can be an All-Star.
“Do I think DeLauter’s going to be a perennial All-Star and a star of this team? I do. I think it’s that kind of potential and that kind of talent,” Bowden said in a chat with Nick Wilson and Jonathan Peterline on 92.3 The Fan.
"Do I think DeLauter's going to be a perennial All-Star and a star of this team? I do. I think it's that kind of potential and that kind of talent."
🚨 @JimBowdenGM with @NickWilsonSays and @JPeterlin on Chase DeLauter and the #Guardians offense ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/AkyI4fusEP
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) April 13, 2026
That’s high praise from a guy who used to evaluate talent for a living in his GM days. And truth be told, DeLauter does look like he could make the All-Star teams multiple times in his career.
His set of skills is rather unique in today’s game, where everybody sells out for power. DeLauter is capable of flirting with a .300 batting average for the entire season, and has the plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills to avoid prolonged slumps.
He also has 25-homer power with the potential for more. It could all add up for an impressive stat line when it’s time to put together the All-Star rosters.
In the last 48 hours, DeLauter has been identified as the betting favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year Award to this point and a candidate to be an All-Star-caliber player. Not bad.
NEXT: Analyst Makes A Bold Prediction About Parker Messick
