Former MLB General Manager Offers High Praise to Guardians Prospect Chase DeLauter

In late 2025, the Cleveland Guardians got a small taste at what Chase DeLauter has to offer.

The 24-year-old was called up to the major league roster for the 2025 MLB Postseason, getting a chance to play against the Detroit Lions in the opening round. He struggled, but showed glimpses of what made him so exciting in the minor league system, posting a .167 batting average, one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

“I was just kind of preparing for the Fall League, and the Friday before the series started, I got a call from (assistant general manager) James Harris, who called me to Columbus to get some live at-bats out there," DeLauter said on the MLB Network recently when reflecting on his call-up. "From there, I moved up to practice on Monday, and after practice, or maybe before, they told me I was going to be activated."

He has a chance, in the upcoming spring training window, to give the Guardians a bigger display of his abilities, with the hopes of earning a spot on the Opening Day roster.

As his name slowly starts churning in conversations, analysts and high-profile individuals in the baseball world have begun discussing just how exciting his appearance in the majors would be this season. On Monday, Jan. 27, former general manager Steven Phillips, who led the New York Mets from 1997 through 2003, spoke to the interest surrounding DeLauter.

"We got a taste of him," Phillips said. "He hasn't made his major league debut yet, yet he's already been in the major leagues in the postseason... Three levels of the stadium, dropped the flyball early, but his at-bats at the plate.

"He looked like he belonged."

There's going to be a spotlight on DeLauter when he gets his first regular-season start in the big leagues, but with how he held himself late last season, he's set to prove he belongs.

Former major-league GM Steve Philips says he is intrigued by how Chase DeLauter will play this season.

"We got a taste of him. He hasn't made his major league debut yet, yet he's already been in the major leagues in the postseason... Three levels of the stadium, dropped the… pic.twitter.com/gVDRwwuiKp
— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) January 27, 2026

DeLauter's projected impact in 2026

With spring training just a couple of weeks away, DeLauter's spot on the major league roster is still up in the air.

It's unknown whether or not the team is preparing to let him try and prove he deserves a starting spot in the outfield, or place him in Triple-A to start out the year while they do their due diligence on guys like Angel Martinez, Nolan Jones or George Valera, all players who will be competing for time in the outfield.

Either way, DeLauter's practiced and trained all offseason like he knows he's the future No. 2 alongside Golden Glover Steven Kwan. He recently commented that he's working to grow the team culture and get adapted to the team's mindset.

"I think the next step is making sure we're all coming up trusting each other, playing for each other's back, not playing selfish," he said. "That's the way we're going to play Guardians ball and going to win games."

That type of mentality from DeLauter shows that he's bought into what being a member of the Guardians is about, especially the way that they've had to be gritty in years past. Just last season, the team had to march back from a 15.5-game deficit to win the American League Central.

If DeLauter is given a call to be a starter for the team's 2026 Opening Day game, that'll be the sign that the front office truly believes he can be the next big thing in Cleveland.