Chase DeLauter is once again providing the Cleveland Guardians with some much-needed power at the plate.
Chase DeLauter exploded onto the MLB stage at the end of March, hitting four home runs in his first three regular-season games as a big leaguer. Then, just a few days later, he hit a home run during the Cleveland Guardians home opener to extend the team’s lead.
DeLauter has always been known for his offensive potential, but he has never really had the title of being a power hitter. After his home run on April 3, DeLauter wouldn’t hit another until a month later on May 3.
With all that in mind, DeLauter is in the middle of another power surge at the plate. The rookie has now hit three home runs in the Guardians’ last six games.
When asked on Friday if DeLauter is getting back into one of his power grooves, he joked, “I don’t know. I don’t want to jinx it.”
Thinking more about his at-bats as of late, DeLauter went on to say, “I mean, I'm just trying to hit the ball hard.”
I think having a couple early ones [home runs] like that at the start of the year kind of got me thinking, see how many I can kind of get rolling, and that wasn't really a recipe for success. So I think now it's just hit the ball hard, man, and whenever it leaves with that, I can't control it. So wherever it goes, it goes.”
Jul 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Chase DeLauter (24) hits a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn ImagesDeLauter’s mindset of just wanting to hit the ball hard is clearly paying off at the plate, and the stats back that up, too.
The 24-year-old has a season average exit velocity of 90.8 mph and a hard-hit rate of 44 percent. Since the beginning of July, DeLauter’s had an average exit velocity of 98.7 mph, a hard-hit rate of 58.8 percent, and a max exit velocity of 110.4 mph.
Remember, DeLauter is just a few weeks removed from coming off the injured list with a fractured rib; an injury that could have affected a player’s swing speed given the location of the ailment.
That hasn’t been the case for the Guardians’ rookie.
Not only has DeLauter not been affected by the injury, but he’s also logging better power numbers than he did right before landing on the injured list.
Hopefully, this will continue after the All-Star break.
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