How Chase DeLauter Is Already Proving To Be Culture Fit With Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians are looking to start the 2026 MLB Spring Training window soon, with plenty of prospects including DeLauter to make their mark.

Cleveland Guardians center fielder Chase DeLauter (34) jogs back to the dugout during the first inning of Game 2 of the American League wild card series at Progressive Field, Oct. 1, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chase DeLauter's got a red circle around his name heading into the 2026 MLB season.

He's a can't-miss prospect with so much excitement being built around what he can do at the major league level of baseball, mainly because the public only got a small glimpse of him this past offseason. He was called up for the Cleveland Guardians' opening round of playoff action, posting a .167 batting average, one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

He looked sharp, but a bigger sample size is certainly needed to see what he can really do, which is why many cannot wait to see if he ends up making the Guardians' 2026 Opening Day roster.

But first, he'll have a chance to put his offseason work on display in spring training.

Recently, DeLauter spoke about the next steps the team is taking in preparation for a year that's expected to have plenty of ups and downs. 2025 was exciting, but it was inconsistent, something that the team is looking to avoid this year.

"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."

It's obvious that DeLauter has bought into what a Cleveland ball player is supposed to be like, even with just a singular offseason to get acclimated to the major league mentality.

"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. That's the way we're going to play Guardians ball and going to win games."

Looks like Chase DeLauter already has the #GuardsBall mentality. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/dZGsHs4TNP

— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) January 21, 2026

DeLauter and what he brings to the table

In 2025, DeLauter played the most amount of minor league ball since 2023, recording 42 games played. He slashed .264/.379/.473 for an OPS of .852, with a majority of his time being spent with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

While it has been just a small sample size, especially considering the maximum amount of games he played in an entire season of minor league baseball being 57, anyone with two eyes can see that DeLauter's just got that "it" factor.

The kid hits bombs and he does it consistently.

His total minor league slugging percentage comes in at a mark of .504, with his college percentage being even higher at .715.

No matter the level of competition that he's going up against, there never seems to be a hindrance to his abilities. Well, outside of the constant injury bug he's seemingly dealing with.

If he can stay healthy throughout all of spring training and into the regular season, there's a very good chance that DeLauter is one of the X-Factor additions for the clubhouse in 2026. He's got the mindset, and he's got the talent. The only question now is if he can put it together and put the front office in a position where they have to let him suit up next to Golden Glover Steven Kwan.

Cleveland's first taste of spring training action will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch between the two sides is set for 3:05 p.m. EST.