Guardians Rookies Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana Steal the Show on Sacramento Trip

The Cleveland Guardians' future stayed hot at the plate on Sunday, May 3, as rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana both got on base, flashing their recent strong play at the plate.

May 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana (37) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run against the Athletics during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

While on the road in Sacramento for a three-game set against the Athletics, the Cleveland Guardians snagged two games for their first series win since April 19.

And helping lead the team at the plate were rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana.

The two consistently delivered on the offensive end, with DeLauter going 8-for-11 with two doubles and a home run, while Bazzana, who had been pretty quiet since his mid-week call-up to the big leagues, delivered three hits and four walks.

That type of productivity from the team's youngsters goes a long way, especially with both being viewed as the future of the organization.

For DeLauter, his play in Sacramento reinforced the belief that he's still an impactful bat, even though he may have had a dry spell through mid-April. On Sunday, for the first time since the Guardians' Home Opener against the Chicago Cubs, which came way back on Friday, April 3, he left the yard.

Chase DeLauter with his first home run since the #Guardians’ Home Opener.

A strong road stand in Sacramento continues for the rookie. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/kXDORJInTn

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) May 3, 2026

"I think I said it early on this year, they come in bunches, and they don't come in bunches," DeLauter said about his ability to hit home runs. "I don't really like to think of myself as a home run strikeout kind of guy. I mean, I feel like I'm a hitter, so I just try to put the barrel to the ball, and wherever it goes, it goes."

He's now batting a strong .304 with 34 hits in 32 games. He isn't just racking, though, but also getting on base by any means necessary. He has 17 walks drawn to just strikeouts, which has helped his on-base percentage jump to .392.

With his sixth home run of 2026, he is now tied for a team-high, all while still owning the team's only triple on the year.

And to see this type of success, especially after his injury history was much of a concern heading into the campaign, it has been a sigh of relief.

"Honestly, just remembering that I'm grateful to be out there," DeLauter said about what has kept him grounded. "I've had a weird path to get there, a lot of injuries, a lot of time in Arizona that I wish I could have back at any moment. But I think that's it. Again, whether you're riding the highs or riding the lows, it's show up every day and prepare to play, and that's it."

Like DeLauter, Bazzana's journey to the major leagues didn't come easy.

While he wasn't dealing with injuries, he was struggling to stay consistent at the plate. He began the 2026 season in Triple-A and struggled to showcase reliable exit velocity and the ability to stay poised at the plate. At times, he was swinging and missing at pitches outside of the zone, all while sitting back and waiting when balls were sent right down the heart of the plate.

Fortunately, he has nearly shown the exact opposite since his promotion. He has drawn six walks to four strikeouts, while working into at-bats really well.

"It's great. I mean, as we talked about, Travis has been having great at-bats and, you know, worked on another walk," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "But just to get that first one to see it go through the infield, in a huge spot for us, too, to extend the lead. Great at-bat right there, battle, battle, battle, and really good for him to get this first one."

Bazzana's ability to stay ready and confident at the plate, even though he went hitless through his first three major league outings, showed great maturity.

"He's confident," Vogt said following Bazzana's first big league knock on Saturday. "He was confident, you know, all throughout since he's been here and in spring training but once you once you get that first one, it definitely you hit the relief button and you start to relax a little bit.

It’s hard to imagine teams around the league aren’t wincing as they watch both Bazzana and DeLauter tear it up at the same time. After all, at just 23 and 24 years old, there’s a real chance they could remain key pieces for the Guardians over the next decade.

And Cleveland can only hope that turns out to be the case.