Chase DeLauter spent years carrying the injury-prone label, and for a while, the criticism had plenty of fuel. Since the Cleveland Guardians took him 16th overall in the 2022 draft, the outfielder had a habit of missing big stretches of time in the minors because of multiple ailments.
This season changed the conversation.
DeLauter, the left-handed hitter who finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year race, got into 133 of his team’s 162 games and stayed in the lineup for all 11 postseason games. He did have a brief trip to the injured list in June, but it was only a short stay.
What mattered most to him wasn’t the noise around his reputation or the numbers attached to his name. It was simply being out there.
“As far as the results go, they are what they are. They’re going to come, they’re going to go.
You’re going to have good years, bad years,” DeLauter said to MLB.com about his individual numbers. “The main thing is I was able to keep myself on the field as much as possible and enjoy this ride with the best group of guys I could.”
That kind of answer fits a player who believes in his own game. DeLauter knows what he brings: the swing, the strike-zone judgment, the power, and the work ethic to produce at a high level. What he can’t fully dictate is how often his body lets him play.
Cleveland managed him carefully along the way, leaning on designated hitter reps and giving him occasional days off to keep him fresh. The approach paid off. He not only stayed available, he emerged as the club’s most productive hitter.
DeLauter finished his rookie season with a .287/.363/.457 line, 16 home runs, 30 doubles, 11 stolen bases, a 131 wRC +, and 3.5 fWAR. He looks set to hit in the middle of the Guardians’ lineup for years.
In Other News...
Gavin Williams Just Became A Bigger Guardians Question Than Expected
Gavin Williams has gone from promising arm to one of the most important pieces in Clevelands pitching picture, and the 2026 season only sharpened that view. He handled a massive workload between the regular season and postseason, struck out 281 batters, and backed it up with a 3.76 ERA in the regular season and a 2.16 mark in October. The bigger takeaway for the Guardians is how he got there, with a fastball that played better and a knuckle-curve that gave him another weapon to lean on.
At 27, Williams is still under team control through 2029, which should make him a straightforward building block on paper. In practice, though, a pitcher with this kind of production and this much runway naturally invites bigger questions about long-term cost, extension talks, and whether Cleveland views him more as a cornerstone or a trade chip if the market gets interesting. For a club that always has to balance winning now with what comes next, Williams has become a lot more than just another young starter in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Have A Real Award Snub Debate After Elite Season
Parker Messicks breakthrough season already gave Cleveland plenty to celebrate, and the awards chatter only added to the feeling that the club had one of the more impressive individual campaigns in the league. The rookie left-hander finished third in AL Cy Young voting and second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Kevin McGonigle, a strong showing for a first-year pitcher who immediately put himself in the conversation with the games best.
The debate only gets louder from there, because Cleveland also had Cade Smith near the top of the first BBWAA Reliever of the Year vote, where he finished second behind Louis Varland. MLBs announcement that Bryan Baker won the Mariano Rivera award as the ALs top closer gives the discussion another layer, and for Guardians fans, it is easy to see why this season now comes with a real snub debate attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Bullpen Need Has Put A Proven Veteran On Clevelands Radar
The search for bullpen help has put Tim Hill on the radar in Cleveland, with the veteran left-hander drawing interest from several contenders as free agency moves along. Hill has built a reputation as a durable reliever over recent seasons, and his work with the Yankees helped keep him on the map even as his 2026 performance showed some signs of decline.
For the Guardians, the fit is easy to see. They have room to add to the relief group and have been looking for depth that can soak up meaningful innings, especially from the left side. Hill is also being pursued by the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Dodgers, which suggests this could turn into a broader market for a pitcher who still has value even if he is no longer at his peak. [Read more 🡒]