Guardians star prospect gets brutally honest on rookie season outlook

It’s been a long, windy road as a pro for Chase DeLauter. But the Cleveland Guardians prospect appears ready to make an impact in his rookie season.

After hitting a pair of home runs on Monday in one of the final spring training games, DeLauter expressed his feelings only a few days away from his MLB regular-season debut.

“So excited, but I would say I’m more excited just to play the most meaningful winning baseball again,” DeLauter said, via News 5 Cleveland’s Mason Horodyski. “I mean, it’s been a long… like, I was a college guy, so of course, you experience that in college, and that’s very pushed. You kind of lose it a little bit in the minor league level. Especially… going in and out of rehab and just trying to kind of find a way to get myself back. And, yeah, that’s what all that was for… now, it’s just we go win games.”

Not a replay, Chase did it again!#GuardsSpring pic.twitter.com/qt2nnHXlzx

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 24, 2026

Drafted 16th overall by the Guardians in 2022, DeLauter has spent almost all of the time since in the minor leagues and/or recovering from numerous injuries. In the last four years, he has dealt with several foot and toe fractures, a hand fracture, as well as a hamstring injury, all of which delayed his debut until October, when he appeared in two playoff games.

Although the injuries are certainly going to be a worry for the team and fans alike, DeLauter has shown what he can do this spring, just as he did two years ago. In 2024, DeLauter lit up opposing pitchers in spring training, at the end of which he had splits of .520 AVG / .600 OBP / 1.040 SLG, four home runs, 10 RBI, and five walks. This spring,  he has splits of .459 AVG / .535 OBP / .838 SLG, as well as three home runs, 10 RBI, and six walks.

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