| Chase DeLauter | |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians – No. 79 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born:October 8, 2001 Frederick, Maryland, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left |
Chase Daniel DeLauter (born October 8,2001) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization.
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]
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 Arizona Complex League Guardians and was later promoted to the Lake County Captains and Akron RubberDucks. [24] Over 57 games,he batted .355 with five home runs and 39 RBIs. [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.