Guardians’ Chase DeLauter continues to prove he can handle rigors of MLB season 

The MLB season is long. Like really long. While the six-month marathon provides us with plenty of opportunities to watch (and write!) about baseball, it’s a taxing sport that can test the mental fortitude of even the game’s sharpest veterans, to say nothing of a bright-eyed rookie. 

Last week it looked like that rookie wall had claimed Guardians phenom Chase DeLauter as its newest victim thanks to the .114 average (4-for-35) that he posted from April 14 to April 24. 

But the 24-year-old has blasted through that wall over the past week with a 9-for-16 span highlighted by a 2-for-3 showing with two RBI and a walk in Cleveland’s 3-1 win over the Rays on Wednesday. 

With that strong showing, DeLauter’s now slashing .257/.345/.485. He’s also driven in 18 runs, which is the third-most among rookies behind Munetaka Murakami and Sal Stewart. 

Chase DeLauter’s finding his swing again for the Guardians

While DeLauter started the season hotter than fish grease, it was only a matter of time until he crashed back to earth as pitchers and teams figured out how to attack him. 

But he’s navigated those adjustments with aplomb and seems to be heating up again at the near-perfect time for the Guardians. 

After Clevealnd’s hot start to the season, the Guardians offense entered play on Wednesday with a team average of just .226 over the past week, which was the fourth-mark in baseball. 

While Daniel Schneemann and Brayan Rocchio both posted batting averages over .300 during that time frame, DeLauter was one of seven Guardians with an average under .210. 

Wednesday’s win was perhaps the perfect example of how dynamic DeLauter is as a hitter. In his first at-bat, he got jammed on a cutter from Drew Rasmussen but managed to punch it into the perfect spot in center field thanks to his strong arms and quick, choppy swing. 

His next hit came in the form of a two-run single up the middle against a drawn-in infield. He got a pitch over the middle and didn’t try to do too much with it. It’s the kind of at-bat the Guardians have been desperately missing as of late. 

Although DeLauter hasn’t hit a home run since his season-opening barrage, he’s still found ways to make an impact and drive runners in. Not only does that lengthen the Guardians’ lineup in general, but it also provides José Ramírez with some much-needed protection as he works to get back into a groove. 

DeLauter swung his way into the national conversation with his strong opening week, but his performance across the past seven days has been just as helpful to the Guardians (even if it hasn’t come with the same fanfare).

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