Highly regarded Guardians prospect promoted to Triple-A Columbus

Chase DeLauter is one step closer to the bigs. The second-ranked prospect in the Cleveland Guardians organization has been promoted to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. This has been an expected development for quite some time and should prove to be a pivotal stepping stone in DeLauter's development, as well as his career.

DeLauter has been the recipient of plenty of attention since being drafted by the Guardians 16th overall in the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft. Cleveland has had a well-documented need for help in the outfield, and drafting a highly regarded prospect in DeLauter was always going to result in all eyes being on him.

It seems like the exact perfect time for DeLauter to face an advanced level of competition. Homering in three straight games, DeLauter has doubled his season total across all levels. With everything clicking right now at the plate, going against stiffer competition will be an excellent test of his overall skillset.

The 22-year-old slashed 271/.353/.436 with seven doubles and five home runs in 36 games for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks. Even though it is a pretty small sample size overall (156 plate appearances in total), it was clear the DeLauter was ready for a tougher challenge. Spending time at the level directly below the majors is in DeLauter's best interest and that of the Guardians. This will allow the organization to gauge his development against soon-to-be or former major league players. It will also give DeLauter the opportunity to pick the brains, so to speak, of those on his own team, giving him access to information only someone who has made an appearance in the major leagues would have.

When evaluating the cast of characters down in Columbus, there appears to be a surplus of outfielders at the moment, which could result in one of them being promoted to the majors. In addition to DeLauter, Columbus has Estevan Florial, Angel Martinez, Johnathan Rodriguez, Myles Straw, and George Valera. Of that group, Martinez, Rodriguez, and Valera are on the 40-man roster and would more than likely be one of the ones selected if a move is made.