Chase

DeLauter

DeLauter is batting .282 with an .861 OPS after Sunday’s performance. The homer was his seventh this season, a two-run blast in the first inning off Brady Singer. It was only his second homer since April 5, but he’s been an above league-average hitter during that time despite the lack of homers. All seven of his homers have come against right-handers this season, unsurprisingly. The rookie has held his own against lefties, though, sporting an OBP over .400 against southpaws so far in 2026.

DeLauter connected for an RBI single in the sixth and drove in a run on a groundout in the eighth. The rookie outfielder is up to 25 RBI on the year with more walks than strikeouts. He has just two home runs since the season’s opening weekend, but he continues to get on base and hit well atop Cleveland’s lineup.

DeLauter has oddly flown under the radar since his four home run barrage over the first weekend of the season despite continuing to hit well. His two-run single in the fifth inning put the Guardians ahead and wound up being the only runs they’d need to dispatch the Royals. Earlier in the game, he hit his ninth double, which is tied for the 10th most in the American League. His .308 batting average and .941 OPS are up there with the league leaders, too.

DeLauter is back in Cleveland’s lineup to face Kansas City starter Stephen Kolek after taking a seat during Monday’s series opener. The 24-year-old rookie has been on a tear recently, hitting .609 (14-for-23) with one homer and five RBI over his last seven games.

It qualifies as a surprise to see DeLauter on the bench against veteran righty Michael Wacha, but he gets a break after six consecutive starts between DH and right field. The 24-year-old rookie went deep for the first time since April 3 during Sunday’s loss to the Athletics.

DeLauter’s first homer in exactly a month wasn’t the most majestic of shots; at 95.3 mph, it barely rated as a hard-hit ball, and it would have stayed in play in 17 ballparks. Still, it was a nice cap to an exceptional series for the rookie; DeLauter went 8-for-11 with three walks against the A’s, and he’s hit in eight straight overall, raising his average from .224 to .304.

DeLauter continues to receive opportunities against left-handed starters, which is a great sign for his long-term fantasy outlook. The 24-year-old rookie went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances during Friday’s series opener in West Sacramento.

DeLauter’s first four-hit game extended his hitting streak to six games. He hit a rough patch in the middle of last month, but he’s back up to .286/.372/.524 now, and he leads the Guardians with 20 RBI.

DeLauter has cooled off considerably over the past few weeks, hitting .163 (7-for-43) with zero homers in 13 games after launching five homers in his first seven games to open the season. The encouraging part here is that he’s walked nine times with only four strikeouts during that span. Some turbulence isn’t unexpected for a hitter getting their first taste of the big leagues, which is why fantasy managers need to stick with DeLauter, even if he’s going to take a seat against a few lefties later this week.

As is often the case, the 24-year-old outfielder will find himself on the bench with an opposing left-hander on the mound. David Fry will start in his place in right field and bat fifth against Trevor Rogers and the Orioles on Sunday.