Chase DeLauter didn’t just make his debut season count for the Guardians - he forced his way into the conversation about the best young talent in baseball.
MLB Pipeline’s annual ranking of graduated rookies, built around projected long-term value, slotted DeLauter at No. 11. Jim Callis said DeLauter’s “combination of physicality and athleticism trumps that of most players on this list.”
“Repeated injuries delayed DeLauter’s arrival in Cleveland by a couple of years, so his age works against him for the purposes of these rankings, but his combination of physicality and athleticism trumps that of most players on this list. His 131 OPS+ was the best for a Guardians rookie since Al Rosen’s 145 in 1950,” Callis wrote.
That age factor mattered in a ranking like this. DeLauter was already twenty-four this season because injuries pushed his Cleveland debut back a couple of years after the Guardians took him 16th overall in 2022 out of James Madison. Most of the players ahead of him were 21 or younger, including Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin and Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle, who claimed the top two spots.
But once DeLauter got on the field, he looked every bit like the kind of player Cleveland had been waiting on. His 131 OPS+ was the best by a Guardians rookie since Hall of Famer Al Rosen’s 145 in 1950, a stretch that covers more than seven decades of Cleveland first-year players.
He also delivered when the stakes rose. DeLauter finished with a Cleveland rookie-record 13 postseason hits, hitting .310 with a .396 on-base percentage, along with a home run, three doubles and six RBIs. That performance earned him a place on the All LCS team and a spot in the outfield on ESPN’s All October team.
The left-handed bat also held his own against same-side pitching, batting .323 against lefties during the regular season.
DeLauter wasn’t the only Guardian to show up on Callis’ list. Parker Messick came in at No. 16 despite a season that made him an AL Cy Young finalist.
Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, followed at No. 17, and switch-hitting infielder Ángel Genao landed at No. 26.
Having four Cleveland players in the top 26 says plenty about how much young talent the organization brought to the majors in one year.
Now the question is whether DeLauter can keep the momentum going. Injuries were the only thing that slowed him before 2026, and if he can put together a full healthy season next year, he could become one of the American League’s best young outfielders. If Cleveland trades Steven Kwan this winter, DeLauter would be in line for an even larger role.
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Guardians Trade Buzz Puts Clevelands Outfield Plans Under Pressure
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Steven Kwan has emerged as the more prominent name in the chatter, giving Cleveland a high-value piece that could bring back real help if the club decides to move him. Blake Perkins is also in the mix as a defense-first option, and the fact that both names are being floated suggests the Guardians may be weighing more than one path as they try to balance short-term competitiveness with whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Lost A Key Piece Of Their Pitching Pipeline
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For the Guardians, the timing matters as much as the departure itself. They now have to find someone to step into that lane alongside pitching coach Carl Willis for the 2027 season, and replacing a longtime voice in the room is never a simple matter when a club has leaned on that continuity to shape its pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Lose Another Pitching Voice As Francona Reunites With Familiar Staffer
Another familiar pitching voice is leaving Clevelands staff, with Joe Torres set to take over as the Reds head pitching coach under Terry Francona. Torres has been with the Guardians organization since 2017, working his way through a series of minor league coaching roles before moving into his major league assistant pitching coach job in 2022.
For the Guardians, the move adds another layer of turnover to a pitching group that has leaned on continuity in recent seasons. There is no replacement announced yet, leaving one more opening for the club to sort out as it looks to keep its staff intact heading into the next phase of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]