Guardians' Chase DeLauter Is MLB’s Must-Know Rookie Right Now

As the 2026 Major League Baseball season approached, a handful of star-studded rookies got a lot of buzz, including JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals, Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and most recently Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

One name that you didn't hear a lot, but will now is Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians. The 24-year-old has played in seven games in the big leagues and yet he has five home runs under his belt, which is tied for the most in the American League. On top of that, he's leading the league with eight RBIs. Nope, you're not reading that wrong. A 24-year-old rookie has five home runs and eight RBIs in seven games. It's unheard of in Major League Baseball.

The official MLB X account shared on Friday that DeLauter is the fastest rookie to five homers in the league over the last five seasons. It took eight total games in the 2026 season, with DeLauter playing just seven, for the rookie to clobber five homers. In comparison, the next closest rookie over the last five years was Michael Busch in 2024 in 15 games played.

The Guardians rookie is thriving right now

Apr 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Chase DeLauter (24) hits a single during the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

"The first rookies to reach 5 homers in each of the past 5 seasons (with the number of team games it took them): 2026: Chase DeLauter (8), 2025: Tim Tawa (31), 2024: Michael Busch (15), 2023: James Outman (20), 2022: Jeremy Peña (23)."

The first rookies to reach 5 homers in each of the past 5 seasons (with the number of team games it took them):

2026: Chase DeLauter (8)
2025: Tim Tawa (31)
2024: Michael Busch (15)
2023: James Outman (20)
2022: Jeremy Peña (23) https://t.co/sThupWOJIV pic.twitter.com/wJ67gOm4U1
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026

It's insane what the young outfielder has been able to do to start his big league career. He made the Guardians out of camp as the club's No. 2 prospect and has looked the part so far.

Like Wetherholt, McGonigle and now Griffin, DeLauter is a great story for baseball as a whole. The next generation of MLB stars are making an instant impact right now shortly after making their big league debuts. That's not all, though. Nolan McLean of the New York Mets is also thriving. He made eight starts last year and has carried the momentum into 2026.

It's all good for the game. MLB has been fortunate to have superstars like Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper and Mike Trout for a long time. Fortunately, all three are still great. But having this many young guys impress right out of the gate to begin their careers is going to do wonders for the long-term health of the game. Plus other non-rookies, like Roman Anthony. Baseball is in a good place and just getting better.