Cleveland Guardians To Promote No. 2 Ranked Prospect
![Feb 29, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (6) grounds out in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Feb 29, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (6) grounds out in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3762,h_2116,x_0,y_99/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cleveland_baseball_insider/01j5p5pc4p8makdn8408.jpg)
The Cleveland Guardians farm system was recently ranked among the top five in baseball. Even though the current major league team is in first place in the division, there are many reasons to be excited about the organization's future.
One reason for that is Cleveland's No. 2 ranked prospect, Chase DeLauter. The 22-year-old outfielder has spent the entire season at Double-A (Akron RubberDucks). However, reports indicate that he will be promoted to Triple-A (Columbus Clippers) on Tuesday.
DeLauter was the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Third straight game!#Guardians 22yr old OF prospect Chase DeLauter homers for his third straight game in the 6th inning today for Akron extending his current hitting streak to 9 straight games! DeLauter now has four HR's over his last seven games.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/LvzcZeD776
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 18, 2024
When DeLauter is on the field, he's always been one of the best hitters and players. He's currently hitting .252/.328/.502 with an OPS of .887 and wRC+ of 115 with the RubberDucks this season.
But, it's been the last stretch of games is really what has turned heads and was likely part of the reason for this promotion. DeLauter has a slashline of .316/.359/.632 with an OPS of .991 which includes hitting home runs in the last three games and four homers in the last seven.
Clearly, the talent is there, but DeLauter has suffered multiple injuries since being drafted. He's only played 33 games this season due to a fractured foot and then a toe injury. Now, hopefully, those injuries are behind him, so he can continue this development at Triple-A and show why the organization is so high on him as a cornerstone of the Guardians' future.