Chase DeLauter

Chase Daniel DeLauter (born October 8, 2001) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization.

Chase DeLauter
Cleveland Guardians
Outfielder
Born: (2001-10-08) October 8, 2001 (age 23) Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
Bats: Left Throws: Left

Amateur career

DeLauter attended Hedgesville High School in Hedgesville, West Virginia, where he played football, basketball, and baseball.^[1] In 2018, as a junior, he batted .500 and also pitched to a 1.95 ERA with 64 strikeouts.^[2] As a senior in 2019, he went 9-2 with a 0.84 ERA over 66 innings alongside hitting .606 with eight home runs, 52 RBIs, and 21 doubles.^[3] He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of West Virginia.^[4][5]

After graduating high school, DeLauter enrolled at James Madison University to play college baseball. As a freshman in 2020, DeLauter earned a starting spot and batted .382 with 26 hits and 14 RBIs over 16 games before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6] He earned Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.^[7] He played in the Rockingham County Baseball League for the Broadway Bruins that summer where he batted .527 with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs over thirty games.^[8] In 2021, as a redshirt freshman, he slashed .386/.500/.723 with six home runs, 21 RBIs, and a 1.231 OPS over 26 games.^[9] He missed two games during the season due to injury.^[10] Following the season's end, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League where he was named a league all-star and earned the Robert A. McNeese Outstanding Pro Prospect Award after batting .298 with nine home runs over 34 games.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} DeLauter entered the 2022 season as a top prospect for the upcoming draft.^[16][17] In early April, he broke his foot and missed the remainder of the season.^[18] Over 24 games before the injury, he batted .437 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.^[19] Following the season's end, he traveled to San Diego where he participated in the Draft Combine.^[20]

Professional career

The Cleveland Guardians selected DeLauter in the first round with the 16th overall selection of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.^[21] He signed with the team for $3.75 million.^[22] He did not play for the organization in 2022 due to a broken foot he suffered in the spring.

On January 10, 2023, DeLauter underwent surgery to address a fracture in the fifth toe of his left foot, sidelining him for 4-5 months.^[23] He made his professional debut in June with the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians and was later promoted to the High-A Lake County Captains and Double-A Akron RubberDucks.^[24] Over 57 games, DeLauter batted .355 with five home runs and 39 RBI.^[25] After the season, he was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas.^[26]

DeLauter was assigned to Akron to open the 2024 season.^[27] DeLauter was promoted to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers on August 19, 2024. In 39 appearances split between Columbus, Akron, and the ACL Guardians, he batted an aggregate .261/.342/.500 with eight home runs and 24 RBI.

On March 4, 2025, it was announced that DeLauter had undergone surgery to address a core muscle/sports hernia injury, and would miss 8-to-12 weeks as a result.^[28] He made 42 appearances for Columbus and the FCL Guardians upon returning, slashing .264/.379/.473 with seven home runs, 24 RBI, and one stolen base. On July 23, it was announced that DeLauter would miss 6-to-8 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a right hamate fracture.^[29]