How Guardians’ Chase DeLauter Silenced Concerns With Impressive Spring Training Game

The Chase DeLauter excitement has yet again risen to the roof.

Following a few days without the talented outfielder being on the field due to lower-body soreness, a situation that caused plenty of concern from the general public, he hopped right back out onto the diamond on Sunday, March 1, against the Colorado Rockies.

In the team's 8-3 loss, DeLauter was incredible, crushing a double and a home run for a solid two RBIs. His home run, which came from an inside pitch, came off the bat at 105.6 mph, going 389 feet. He finished the game perfect from the plate, 2-for-2. For a player who hadn't been at the plate in days, that type of immediate jump back to form is impressive.

Now, on the spring, he's 5-for-8 from the plate with two doubles, one home run and three RBIs, which is good enough for an eye-popping .625/.625/1.250 slashing line for an OPS of 1.875.

While it is spring training and players are obviously going to have boosted numbers, it's great to see for a player who's likely going to make his regular season major league debut in just a few weeks time.

Chase DeLauter shows off his lightning quick hands ⚡️

MLB Pipeline's No. 46 overall prospect sends this homer out in a hurry 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/FxCdKAQbJn
— MLB (@MLB) March 1, 2026

DeLauter's Chance to Make the Opening Day Roster

There's a lot of chatter going on right now surrounding DeLauter's future.

Back in 2025, he pieced together a season that was riddled with injuries by performing well when he was given the chance to play. He jumped from Double-A Akron in 2024 to Triple-A Columbus by the end of the campaign, a place he remained last season and shone. Through 34 games and just north of 125 at-bats, his slashing line showed his power and effectiveness at the plate with a mark of .278/ .383/.476 for an OPS of .859.

He crushed eight doubles, one triple and five home runs, all while adding on a really impressive 22 walks to 23 strikeouts. With his poise and plate discipline, it was obvious he was ready for a call-up to the big leagues at some point.

The front office gave him his chance in the MLB Postseason, where he got an early glimpse of what it takes to be a big league player.

Fortunately, that allowed him to grow in the offseason and become accustomed to big-league level preparation. His spring training stint so far has shown that tenfold.

With how strugglesome the team was in the outfield back in 2025, there should be no reason that DeLauter isn't on the Opening Day roster, and more importantly, starting.

He will likely end up in an outfield with Steven Kwan and George Valera.

What He Has Left to Prove

The only thing left for DeLauter to show the Guardians' front office that he's deserving of being a major league contributor is that he can stay healthy.

It has always been a concern for him since he entered the league, missing numerous games each season.

And for him to start spring training with soreness, there are going to be concerns by the individuals upstairs on whether or not they think he's ready for the opportunity. It's obvious he has the talent, but he just needs to keep himself healthy.

Cleveland #Guardians OF prospect Chase DeLauter with a 363 foot opposite field double 99.3 mph off the bat in the 1st inning vs the Rockies.

DeLauter is now (4-7) on the spring with a pair of doubles.#GuardsSpring pic.twitter.com/kAbRJ0R46e
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) March 1, 2026

If he does start the year in Triple-A, it would likely not be for a large chunk of time.

The Guardians' next chance to hop on the field for spring training will be Monday, March 2, against the Texas Rangers at 3:05 p.m. EST. DeLauter, on the other hand, will have a few days' rest and likely suit back up in the middle of the week.

The team is still trying to ensure he stays healthy and doesn't suffer any setbacks.