Guardians Top Prospect Looks To Make Strides In AFL After Injury-Plagued Season

This Guardians will be sending one of their top prospects to the AFL.

A ball cap sports the Cleveland Guardians logo in the third inning of the MLB Inter-league game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are on an unprecedented surge in the second half of the 2025 season and may ultimately win their second consecutive American League Central title as the Detroit Tigers have gone in the opposite direction. The Guardians do have some very intriguing prospects in their farm system, and some of them will be taking their talents to the Arizona Fall League.

The AFL takes place around the same time as the postseason, and it allows organizations to get closer looks at some of their top prospects and for prospects who missed time in the regular season due to injuries to get reps and make up for that lost time.

Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter has dealt with various injuries lately, and he is taking part in the AFL. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com listed DeLauter as Cleveland's top AFL prospect.

Guardians Top Prospect Ready To Bounce Back In AFL After Injuries

Feb 29, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (6) catches a fly ball in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

"The oft-injured DeLauter, who has played in just 138 games in three pro seasons, returns for a third stint in the AFL after missing time this year with a sports hernia and a broken hamate. The 2022 first-rounder from James Madison slashed .278/.383/.476 with five homers in 34 Triple-A games and continues to display one of the best combinations of size, athleticism, hitting ability, power and plate discipline in the Minors."

DeLauter started the year with Cleveland's Arizona Complex League affiliate before making it to Triple-A. He was limited to just 42 games this year due to his injury. However, when healthy, he performed well and showed some promise.

The 23-year-old outfielder slashed .264/.379/.473 with seven home runs, 24 RBI and an .852 OPS. Obviously, he will use the AFL to make up for some of his lost time, and the Guardians will have a chance to get a better look at him when healthy.

He has quickly risen through the farm system after being drafted in the first round in 2023. The young outfielder still has a lot of promise and could very easily take some big strides in the AFL, potentially setting the stage for a much more productive 2026 season.

It will be very interesting to see what he can do in the AFL with extra time to prove himself and more reps after missing much of the 2025 season.

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