The Cleveland Guardians’ offense was so bad last season that they did something unprecedented in an effort to inject some life into the lineup by calling up top outfield prospect Chase DeLauter to make his MLB debut in the Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers. DeLauter became just the sixth player in league history to debut in the playoffs, and he went 1-for-6 with a walk in his two games of action.
With the offense still in need of some juice heading into the 2026 season, DeLauter is positioned to potentially be a full-time starter. If the postseason wasn’t too big for him, the regular season should be a breeze, and his manager has all the confidence in the world that he is ready to roll. Stephen Vogt recently stopped by MLB Network to talk about his team, and the topic of DeLauter’s debut came up.
Vogt spoke glowingly about how his rookie wasn’t nervous and was ready for the challenge.
“It was really cool to see Chase [DeLauter] when he came to the field, when he got to Progressive. To see the look in his eye, it was not big eyed, it was not intimidated. It was, ‘100% im ready for this challenge.’ It made a lot of sense for us to take a shot. It was one of those things where it didn’t feel 100% comfortable, but I was 100% confident that Chase was going to answer the call, and he did,” Vogt said.
Stephen Vogt on Chase DeLauter's MLB debut in the Postseason:
“To see the look in his eye, it was not big eyed, it was not intimidated. It was, ‘100% im ready for this challenge.’”#MLBNHotStove | @SageUSAmerica https://t.co/enlgsrJIGA pic.twitter.com/vvqPkD3peL
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 12, 2026
Angel Martinez, Nolan Jones, Jhonkensy Noel, and Lane Thomas all struggled at the plate last season for the Guardians. Even the worst possible outcomes from DeLauter and George Valera would be an upgrade over what that group was able to do offensively, so it’s time for this organization to embrace the youth movement.
Vogt standing behind his 24-year-old like this is admirable and important, because he knows as well as these fans do that this offense needs somebody to emerge. DeLauter has always had the ability to be a star in the minors, with injuries being the only thing holding him back.
His development is one of the most exciting subplots on this team. Hopefully, we see him starting in center field on Opening Day, where he kicks off a Rookie of the Year-type campaign.
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