The Cleveland Guardians likely have surprised a wide range of prognosticators so far in the 2026 MLB season. They have emerged from an opening 10-game stretch against three playoff teams with a record above .500 and in first place in the AL Central.
That is thanks in large part to rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter, who got off to a historic start, including four home runs in the first three games against the Seattle Mariners. The pitching staff has also been excellent, which has helped Cleveland overcome a lack of offense from the rest of its struggling lineup.
Based on the success so far, the Guardians have made a big jump in MLB.com’s latest power rankings, rising to No. 12 from No. 19.
“What a beginning to Chase DeLauter’s season. The Guardians’ rookie homered twice in his regular-season debut on Opening Day and slugged five homers in his first eight games. Cleveland’s offense still has glaring issues, but DeLauter has helped mask a lot of it with his start,” Brent Maguire wrote.
Cleveland is heading in the right direction after some preseason projections suggested it would miss the playoffs and wouldn’t even have a winning record. That’s despite the fact that the Guardians have won their division in consecutive seasons and have been in the playoffs in three of the past four years.
DeLauter has been a revelation, as he has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. He is batting .313 with a 1.124 OPS and five home runs in nine games played. He has become a favorite at Progressive Field, with fans singing along to his walk-up song leading into every at-bat.
Unfortunately, he is the only lineup regular with a batting average above .216. Several key players, including Jose Ramirez, Bo Naylor, and Kyle Manzardo, are hitting under .200.
On the bright side, the starting pitching, which was also considered to be something of a concern heading into the season, has been very good. Rookie Parker Messick has been particularly notable, with just one run allowed in 11.0 innings so far, which includes six scoreless innings against the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers in his 2026 debut.
The Guardians now face a key early-season series against the division-rival Kansas City Royals, which could provide a glimpse of how the AL Central will play out this year.
NEXT: Guardians Executive Sends Confident Message About Team's Offense
