The Cleveland Guardians’ season ended with a familiar kind of frustration, as they fell to the Tampa Bay Rays in six games in the ALCS. The World Series drought rolls on another year, but the postseason also gave the organization something it can carry into the future: Chase DeLauter looked every bit like a cornerstone.
DeLauter kept answering the moment all October, showing that the stage never got too big for him. That mattered because he entered the season with plenty of questions about whether he could stay healthy. Instead, he gave the fan base a strong case for believing he can be a fixture in the lineup for a long time.
He also put his name in the franchise record book. In Game 6, he went 2-for-5 and scored Cleveland’s first two runs, pushing his postseason hit total to 13. That broke the mark for a rookie in a single playoff run.
“Chase DeLauter finished 2-for-5 and scored Cleveland’s first two runs, bringing his postseason hit total to 13. That’s the most hits by a Cleveland rookie in a single postseason, surpassing Brayan Rocchio’s previous record of 11 in 2024. DeLauter entered October having already established himself as an important part of Cleveland’s offense, and his performance throughout the playoffs provided another glimpse of his potential as a middle-of-the-order fixture for years to come,” Noga wrote.
The numbers backed up the eye test. DeLauter posted an .848 OPS across 11 postseason games, a step up from the .820 OPS he put together in the regular season. He also proved he can handle lefties and, after appearing in 133 games this year, removed plenty of doubt about whether he can be more than just a hot streak.
Rocchio, the previous record-holder, had been one of Cleveland’s better playoff bats over the past two seasons, but this run went the other way. He finished hitting .143 in the postseason.
The disappointment is real, but so is the takeaway. Cleveland now has a young middle-of-the-order bat to build around, and the next step is adding more around him this offseason. The gap to the finish line still exists, but the Guardians are not far from finally closing it.
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Steven Kwans Guardians Comments Mean More Than Fans Might Think
Steven Kwans season finished on a far better note than it began, and the broader view matters here as much as the numbers. After a rough first half, he settled in and finished with a strong 114 wRC+, reinforcing why he remains one of the more valuable everyday pieces on the roster. Along the way, he also made clear how he feels about the group around him, praising the Guardians young core and sounding genuinely energized by what the club could become.
Those comments carry extra weight because Kwan is no ordinary talking point for the front office. He is moving toward his contract year in 2027, which puts Cleveland in the familiar position of weighing whether to extend a homegrown player or eventually cash in on his value. For a team built around young, controllable talent, Kwans outlook is a reminder that the Guardians may soon have to decide whether their vision for the future includes one of their most reliable bats for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Near-Miss Put Three Roster Problems Front And Center
A familiar postseason frustration has pushed Cleveland right back into roster-building mode. After falling to Tampa Bay in six games in the American League Championship Series, the Guardians enter the winter with the same basic mandate that has shadowed them for stretches of the season: find more offense and shore up the starting rotation if they want to take the next step.
Those needs also narrow the priorities. Cleveland could use help in the outfield, with Jarren Duran among the names worth tracking, and the rotation has room for another arm such as Michael Detmers. There is also the more obvious hole at first base, where the Guardians still need a reliable everyday answer, and solving even one of those issues would go a long way toward making the lineup and staff fit together better. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough First Base Call After ALCS Run
The Guardians run ended in the American League Championship Series, and the next phase of the offseason is already starting to come into focus. Along with the usual list of contract decisions, Cleveland has a few familiar names headed toward free agency, including Nathaniel Lowe, Austin Hedges, Rhys Hoskins and Foster Griffin, while Shawn Armstrongs situation sits in the middle with a mutual option to sort through.
First base is one of the more interesting calls on the board. Cleveland has to decide whether to keep Lowe in the mix or let him walk, and the answer could shape how quickly a younger option gets a real look. Ralphy Velazquez is among the prospects the organization is weighing for future contributions, which makes this a position to watch as the Guardians try to turn an encouraging playoff finish into a more settled roster plan. [Read more 🡒]