It’s award season across Major League Baseball, and while the league’s postseason honors are still waiting to be handed out, the conversation has already shifted to the best individual seasons on each team. For the Cleveland Guardians, that debate comes with plenty of options.
Bleacher Report analyst Joel Reuter settled on outfielder Chase DeLauter as Cleveland’s MVP for the 2026 season.
“With Jose Ramirez struggling through a down year while navigating a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, Chase DeLauter anchored Cleveland’s offense. The rookie outfielder hit .287/.363/.457 for a 131 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 16 home runs, 67 RBIs and a team-high 226 total bases,” Reuter wrote.
That kind of production made a strong case on its own, especially for a player in his first full MLB season. DeLauter had already made an unusual entrance to the big leagues in 2025, debuting in a postseason game, and then followed that brief look with a full year that put him squarely in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup.
His season started with a burst of power that grabbed attention right away: four home runs in his first three games and five in his first nine. The home run pace eventually cooled, but his overall bat stayed steady.
Used mostly in right field and at designated hitter, and often batting second or third, the left-handed hitter never had a month in which his batting average dipped below .250. He also had only one month with an OPS below .729. Even with injuries along the way, including a fractured rib, he still managed to play in 133 games, nearly matching his total from his three minor-league seasons combined.
DeLauter finished first on the Guardians in batting average, OPS and doubles. He also ranked second on the club in hits, home runs and RBIs. In the field, he was clean in 68 outfield appearances and did not commit an error.
There were other players who could have entered the MVP discussion. Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and Cade Smith all turned in strong seasons on the mound. Brayan Rocchio broke out at shortstop, Steven Kwan put together one of the best second halves in the majors, and Angel Martinez and Travis Bazzana both flashed their upside.
Still, DeLauter’s case was built on consistency, production and impact from beginning to end, which is why Reuter landed on him as Cleveland’s top player.
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For Cleveland, the appeal is pretty straightforward: Rea has worked both as a starter and a reliever, which gives him a profile that fits the kind of veteran bullpen swingman the Guardians often look to stockpile. No signing has been reported, so this is still a matter of fit rather than fact, but the opening is there and the need is clear enough to make it a logical connection. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Outfield Shuffle May Have Cost Steven Kwan Gold Glove History
Steven Kwans Gold Glove run came to an end this year, even though he remained one of the better defensive outfielders in the league and was named a finalist. The Guardians outfield alignment played a part in the conversation, with Kwan splitting his time between left and center field and logging more innings in center, a switch that gave his season a different shape than the one voters had seen in past years.
Kwan shook off a slow start and finished strong on both sides of the ball, especially after settling in more regularly in center. Still, the award went to Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, whose defensive metrics were stronger over the full season and ultimately tipped the race in his favor. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Vogt Just Gave Guardians Fans A Fresh Snub Debate
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The timing of the vote helps explain the disconnect, since ballots were submitted before the postseason and did not account for Clevelands comeback in the ALDS. Still, leaving Vogt off the finalist list gives Guardians fans another reason to revisit how much weight should be placed on a regular season that ended with the division crown and a manager who has already built a strong case as one of the leagues best. [Read more 🡒]