How Chase DeLauter May Be the Missing Piece for the Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians entered the 2026 MLB regular season with one critical need in mind: power-hitting.

After the team was primarily disappointing at the plate all last season, the front office knew that if they wanted to continue contending for an American League Central title, they'd have to fix last season's hitting blunders. Well, they fortunately didn't have to look very far, as outfield prospect Chase DeLauter has been remarkable.

The 23-year-old has now crushed three home runs in his first two regular-season games of major league action, an achievement only three players in league history have completed.

Holy cow, Chase DeLauter.

In his first at-bat in his first career regular season game, he hits a solo home run. pic.twitter.com/ERbb78g68M
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) March 27, 2026

He's actually the only Guardian to knock a round-tripper this season, with the rest of the roster not showcasing much power, at least not yet.

But for Cleveland, at this point in the season, having a player like DeLauter break out and show just how good he can be is important. That's because everyone knows that third baseman José Ramírez will always be able to turn it on eventually, and guys like outfielder Steven Kwan and even Rhys Hoskins will be able to keep the bat flowing.

DeLauter was questionable entering the season, but any sort of doubts or worries that his unorthodox swing wouldn't translate to the big leagues have been put to rest.

The Hot Start to 2026

On Opening Day, he went 3-for-5 from the plate with two homers and a single to get on base. He eventually would get around the bases and score. His second home run, which came in the ninth inning, came off the bat at 111.1 mph with a launch angle of 24 degrees, going 422 feet.

He looked composed, too, which was one of the most eye-catching parts of his performance. No matter what count he was in, the pitches that were coming his way or the situation the Guardians were in, DeLauter barely blinked. Even the Guardians' broadcast crew could tell that he wasn't nervous, describing him as having a "low heart rate".

Following the game, he even seemed to downplay just how good he played. When asked about his performance, he simply responded that he wanted the Guardians to "come back and get a win tomorrow."

Following the momentum he set in his regular-season debut, in game two of the series against the Mariners, he sent another ball into orbit, hitting a home run in his first at-bat.

Just a generational start to a career.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/klWd90Jipu
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 28, 2026

But his elite play hasn't just come out of nowhere; as in spring training, he was just as impactful at the plate. Across 14 games and 37 at-bats, he slashed .459/.535/.838 for an OPS of 1.373, with five doubles and three home runs.

Obviously, analysts and fans alike were concerned that his spring training numbers wouldn't translate to meaningful games, but he's shown that no matter the stage, he possesses one of the most powerful bats on the Guardians roster.

As long as DeLauter doesn't let some of the big league learning curves or random mistakes get in his head, there should be no doubt that his appearances at the plate will continue to be successful in some capacity.

And finally, the Guardians can breathe a sigh of relief: they’ve found the power-hitting piece they’ve long been missing.