The Cleveland Guardians offense showed some signs of going up a level earlier in the season, but after a number of injuries to key members of the lineup, the entire lineup hit the skids in June and so far in July. Cleveland needs offense wherever it can get it at the moment, which is why they have already been connected to a few big bats in the trade market as well.
Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez are out, Steven Kwan seems to have permanently lost a step, Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins have been abominations at first base, and all the outfielders that have been called up or signed have been middling at best. That is, except for one young star who has been tearing the cover off the ball since coming back from the injured list a few weeks ago.
Chase DeLauter got off to a strong start before cooling off and then missing a couple of weeks in mid-June, but since his return, he has picked up right where he left off. Guardians Prospective shared some stats that show just how dominant he has been, noting that after his two-run shot on Friday, he is now hitting .380 with three homers and 13 RBIs over his last 18 games.
“430 Feet / 106.4 EV. Cleveland #Guardians OF Chase DeLauter has now homered in back-to-back games after hitting a 2-run bomb tonight in the 4th inning vs Miami for his 10th longball of the season. Last 18 games: 27-71 10R 5(2B) 3HR 13RBI 4BB AVG .380 OBP .413,” Guardians Prospective wrote.
430 Feet / 106.4 EV 😱
Cleveland #Guardians OF Chase DeLauter has now homered in back-to-back games after hitting a 2-run bomb tonight in the 4th inning vs Miami for his 10th longball of the season.
Last 18 games:
27-71 10R 5(2B) 3HR 13RBI 4BB
AVG .380
OBP .413#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/grBKPfWviA— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 11, 2026
DeLauter raked at every level of the minors, and the only thing that ever held him back was his inability to stay healthy. There was concern that red flag was surfacing again in June when he missed time, but he has come back with a vengeance and squashed any of those concerns.
He and Travis Bazzana have given this fan base a ton of hope and will hopefully be fixtures in this lineup for a decade or longer. There is no telling where the team would be without them this year, and they should both have a whole bunch of All-Star selections if they follow their current trajectory.
DeLauter’s ability to avoid strikeouts has been a revelation in an era where strikeouts are as prevalent as ever. That is the kind of approach that ages well, and this young star outfielder should only continue to get better and better.
NEXT: Guardians' First-Half Success Comes Down To One Player
