If Cleveland Guardians prospect Chase DeLauter is going to make his Major League debut in 2025, it is going to be on the sport's biggest stage.
The surprise American League Central champions announced their roster for their 2025 AL Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday and the 23-year-old outfielder is on it despite not having played in a big league game yet.
DeLauter was the Guardians' first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of James Madison University. He rose quickly through the minor league ranks and in 34 games with Triple-A Columbus, he slashed .278/.383/.476.
His MLB.com scouting report paints an intriguing picture for Guardians fans hoping he can provide a boost off the bench against their AL Central rivals.
“Few players in the Minors can match DeLauter's combination of size (6-foot-3, 235 pounds), athleticism, ability to hit for both average and power, and plate discipline,” the report reads. “He rarely strays from the strike zone and makes repeated hard contact against all types of pitches. He has an unorthodox left-handed swing that can get long and he'll get caught on his front foot at times, but his bat speed and strength allow him to pull pitches for power and drive them the other way with authority.”
DeLauter will likely begin the postseason on the bench with Cleveland opting for a starting outfield of Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and Johnathan Rodriguez. But as a left-handed hitter who hits lefties exceptionally well, he can be valuable against a Tigers team that plans to send southpaw Tarik Skubal to the mound in Game 1.
Detroit's Game 2 and 3 starters Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty are both right-handed, but the Tigers also have two high-leverage lefty relievers in Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter. Cleveland is likely to see both pitchers multiple times if the series goes the distance.
The Guardians and Tigers begin their best-of-three series Tuesday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. ET in Cleveland.
