Chase DeLauter is reminding the Guardians why the early-season buzz around him was so loud in the first place.
Cleveland’s outfielder opened the year like a star in overdrive, ripping off a ridiculous first seven games with a .346/.370/.923 line, five home runs and a 254 wRC+. That kind of start can warp expectations in a hurry, but it also showed the kind of ceiling DeLauter brings when everything is clicking.
The middle stretch of his season looked more ordinary. From April 5 until a small rib fracture sent him to the injured list on June 13, he hit .252/.333/.346 with a 95 wRC+ and only two homers across 243 plate appearances. The numbers were fine, but not eye-popping, and it looked for a while like he had settled in as a league-average bat.
What was really happening was adjustment. Pitchers found ways to attack him after that explosive opening, and DeLauter has now started to answer back.
Since coming off the injured list on June 28, he has been rolling. He entered Thursday hitting .372/.400/.535 with a 164 wRC+, and then added another jolt by homering to give Cleveland a lead it never gave back. That was his ninth homer of the season, and it fit the current run he’s on.
Over his last seven games, DeLauter is hitting .310/.355/.552. Stretch that to the last 15, and the production gets even louder: .367/.406/.550. He’s heating up at exactly the right time, and the swing looks as dangerous as it did back in those first seven games.
For the season, DeLauter is now at .279/.345/.436 with a 120 wRC+, nine home runs and 43 RBI. That’s a strong line any way you slice it, and it reflects the full package Cleveland has seen from him in 2026: contact ability, bat speed, gap power, over-the-fence pop, on-base skills, and the injury risk that has already shown up.
If he stays on the field, the rest of the season could still land in the .280/.340/.450 range with 20 homers and 80 RBI. Even that would barely touch the top end of what he can become.
Right now, the Guardians have one of their best hitters locked in, and he looks like someone who could anchor their lineup for a long time.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Made The Outfield Pick Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Guardians spent the opening rounds of the MLB Draft reinforcing the mound, taking pitchers Liam Peterson and Logan Schmidt before turning their attention to the outfield with Houston's Tre Broussard in the third round. Cleveland made one selection in each of the first four rounds, and Broussard stands out as the kind of player this organization has increasingly valued: a polished college bat with speed, contact skills and room to grow into a useful big-league piece.
Broussard brings a track record of getting on base and putting pressure on defenses, including a strong stolen-base success rate over two seasons at Houston. The Guardians still have to get all of their picks signed, but Broussard is the one who naturally invites the long view, especially for a club that is always thinking about how it will keep the outfield pipeline moving in the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Headed For A Roster Squeeze Nobody Can Ignore
The Guardians are staring at a roster puzzle that is becoming harder to ignore as Ramrez and Martnez move toward returning from the injured list. Cleveland has leaned on its depth in the outfield, but the calendar is tightening and the club is going to have to make room somewhere, with the current mix of young players and prospects all trying to stay in the conversation.
Arias has given himself a real opening with a much better stretch at the plate, which matters because this is no longer just about filling innings or covering for injuries. If he can keep that momentum going, he has the first chance to claim a spot, but the Guardians also have other names waiting in the wings, including ngel Genao and Ralphy Velzquez, which keeps this from being a one-move problem. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Pitching Depth Just Took Another Hit Fans Feared
Khal Stephens rise through the Guardians system had been one of the quieter pitching storylines to follow, especially for a club that has made a habit of finding arms and turning them into something useful. Now the young right-hander is facing a much longer road after a right ulnar collateral ligament repair, a setback that will keep him sidelined for a significant stretch and remove another option from a staff that already had little margin for error.
For Cleveland, the timing only adds to the pressure. Recent trades have already thinned the organizations pitching stock, and the loss of Stephen leaves even less room for a normal wave of injuries or short-term absences to be absorbed cleanly. If the Guardians need help in a hurry, they may have to lean on internal depth such as Logan Allen, Austin Peterson or Yorman Gmez, which is exactly the kind of contingency plan teams prefer to avoid this early in the season. [Read more 🡒]