If it weren’t for Chase DeLauter, the Cleveland Guardians may not have five wins on the season and be sitting two games above .500. <\/p>\n
His sheer ability to crack a home run out of the blue, get on base with a high velocity strike on the ground or even just give the team solid defense makes him invaluable to the 2026 Guardians<\/a>. He leads the team in nearly every hitting statistic, with him not looking to be taking a step back anytime soon. <\/p>\n On Friday, April 3, DeLauter returned to the lineup after suffering a lower leg contusion just a few days ago, back on Tuesday, March 31, in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He looked incredible at the plate, knocking three hits in four at-bats, including a two-run home run<\/a> to pull the Guardians away from the Chicago Cubs late, 4-1.<\/p>\n It was his first regular-season game at Progressive Field, and with his new walk-up song, his presence was felt in full force. <\/p>\n “I mean, hearing that from the first inning on, it chills every at-bat,” DeLauter said about fans singing along to “Country Roads”, his walk-up tune. “I mean, it’s something really cool. It’s something I think a lot of players kind of, like, look forward to. Like, ‘hey, man, is that walk-up going to catch on and stuff?’<\/p>\n “So I love that the crowd’s real involved in that here, and, you know, it definitely gives me some chills in the box.” <\/p>\n #Guardians<\/a> fans already catching on to Chase DeLauter’s walk up song “Country Roads, Take Me Home.”<\/p>\n The West Virginia native follows the sing-a-long with a base hit#GuardsBall<\/a> @WEWS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/tO5dU7XU9Z<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Friday served as his first multi-hit game that didn’t include two home runs<\/a>… yeah, a bit of an odd statistical achievement. <\/p>\n But that just shows how good of a start he’s having to his major league career. <\/p>\n He’s now up to nine hits in 26 at-bats, with four singles and five home runs, giving him eight RBI. He’s struck out seven times, but has drawn a singular walk. His slashing line is now up to .356\/.370\/.923 for an OPS of 1.293.<\/a> <\/p>\n When reflecting on the dream-like start to the year he’s had, DeLauter opened up and gave a heartfelt answer. <\/p>\n “[It felt like] a dream come true it really does I mean it’s it’s something you kind of get lost in definitely on a because of day-to-day basis and you kind of sometimes you kind of forget why you’re here and uh but when you come out and again, I’ll keep saying it, beautiful day, packed crowd. I mean, what is there not to be happy about, you know,” he said. <\/p>\n He also highlighted how he’s still working to settle into the big stages he is playing on, especially one like Progressive Field. The Guardians sold out the Home Opener, placing 36,396 fans into the stadium seats. <\/p>\n 36,396 is the official count at Progressive Field for the Home Opener.#GuardsBall<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n “I mean, I felt… A little bit rushed in my first at-bat. You know, rain started coming down,” DeLauter said about the slower start to his game. “The game came on quickly and felt a little rushed. And that’s kind of been my anchor recently is just kind of take my breath, calm down, and let the game come to me.”<\/p>\n For a first-year major leaguer, a lot of the things DeLauter says sound like they are coming out of a veteran’s mouth. It may be the veteran leaders in the clubhouse helping mentor and shape him into an all-around athlete, or it could be his seemingly advanced maturity. No matter what it is, Cleveland’s coaching staff and front office have to be happy with the way he carries himself. <\/a><\/p>\n As Cleveland looks to take their second-straight series win, this time over the Cubs, DeLauter’s success at the plate will likely play a major role in what success the team has, especially with other bats in the lineup still trying to find their groove.<\/p>\n