The Guardians may have found the power hitter they’ve been missing. Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter is off to a historic start, with five home runs through the first two weeks of the season. But Ideastream Public Media’s sports commentator Terry Pluto says DeLauter didn’t take the usual path to get here.
“The thing that's so cool about Chase DeLauter is, unlike one of these guys who played at some big-time high school and then played at Ohio State or Arizona or one of the baseball factories, he's from West Virginia,” said Pluto said. “And I think it really plays well in Ohio because his walk-up song is the John Denver "Take Me Home Country Roads", about West Virginia.”
DeLauter’s path to the majors began in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He dominated at the high school level, but largely outside the spotlight that often follows elite prospects.
“He never went to these big showcases that they have for high school kids…he was kind of tucked away there in the hills," Pluto said.
Despite a .606 batting average and a 4.2 grade point average, DeLauter drew little recruiting interest. Only one school, James Madison, offered him a chance. He primarily was a pitcher.
“He was good enough, he got an invitation to the Cape Cod League,” Pluto said. This is a big deal. He goes there and leads that league in home runs. I mean, this is like a mythical story almost.”
Pluto said the Cape Cod League played with wooden instead of metal bats, which helped prepare him for the major leagues.
Then came the first of several setbacks. Just before the 2022 MLB draft, DeLauter broke his foot. It cost him to slide from a projected top 10 pick to No. 16 overall, where Cleveland selected him anyway.
“They knew it was kind of a risk,” Pluto said.
The foot injury forced DeLauter to sit out his first season. Injuries continued to follow; Foot surgeries. A sports hernia. A broken hamate bone. But Pluto said DeLauter always came back strong.
“When he would finally get healthy for a couple of months, he would just keep hitting,” Pluto said.
Now, after a strong spring and a fast start in the majors, DeLauter is showing why Cleveland remained patient.
“The bottom line with him is, as long as the bones don't break and the muscles don't pull, Cleveland has a star,” Pluto said.
That early surge has prompted a bigger question: Is this just a hot start, or something more lasting?
“I didn't know he was going to hit all these home runs,” Pluto said. “But if this guy could just stay healthy…and believe me, he's trying everything he can to do so, it's there. It's no fluke.”
DeLauter has quickly connected with fans, who sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” during his at-bats.
“I think also his story is so endearing,” Pluto said. “He was nobody's phenom. He's quietly relentless … in pursuit of excellence at the plate.”
Pluto said the next challenge will be sustaining both performance and poise.
“A lot of interest and fame is going to come his way,” Pluto said. “So, we'll see how he handles all that. I believe he'll do it well. I mean, this guy is a viable big-league player with a chance to be an All-Star.”
