Cleveland Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter was named American League Player of the Week.
Chase DeLauter is off to the best start out of anyone on the Cleveland Guardians roster, and truly in all of baseball. The rookie outfielder made plenty of history in Cleveland’s first series of the season, and he was rewarded for it on Monday.
MLB announced that DeLauter was named American League Player of the Week for the offensive display he put on up in Seattle over the weekend.
DeLauter finished his first regular season series with a .353 AVG (6-for-17), including four home runs, five RBI, and a slugging percentage of 1.059. He became the second player in MLB history to hit three home runs in his first four games, the other being Trevor Story back in 2016.
It's the first time a Cleveland player has been named Player of the Week in the first week of the season since Albert Belle, who won it on April 30, 1995. That's certainly some special company for him to be alongside.
Mar 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesDuring this stretch, DeLauter led the Majors in total bases (18) and tied the lead for extra base hits at four. He also became the second player in MLB history to accumulate 17 total bases over his first three games. The other player to accomplish this feat was Jorge Soler in 2014 with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Guardians ended up splitting their series in Seattle, and DeLauter was a key contributor in that. Not just because of how many home runs he hit, but when he hit them.
DeLauter’s fourth home run of the series came in extra innings against Andres Munoz, who is one of the top closers in MLB. His opposite field homer scored himself and Steven Kwan, and gave the Guardians a six-run lead at the time.
After Saturday’s win, Stephen Vogt called what DeLauter is doing special, and Steven Kwan described it as “really stupid. Based on this MLB honor, what the Guardians outfielder is doing is simply elite, not just compared to other rookies, but to the rest of the league.
Of course, DeLauter will cool off at some point this year, likely over the next week or so. That said, for a player who had so much hype surrounding him as he made his way through Cleveland’s organization, it’s exciting to see DeLauter get off to a hot start through his first stint of true big-league playing time.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.