SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� Cleveland Guardians rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter entered the first regular-season game of his major league career with plenty of high-stakes experience at the sport鈥檚 highest level.
The top prospect , but that didn鈥檛 stop a handful of family members from traveling west to see DeLauter hit two home runs, including one in the first regular-season at-bat of his major league career on Thursday in a over the Seattle Mariners.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I鈥檒l never forget,鈥� DeLauter said of his postseason debut last year. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 forget this one either, don鈥檛 get me wrong.鈥�
In the first inning, DeLauter turned on a full-count slider by Seattle starter Logan Gilbert and hit it 358 feet to right field. DeLauter, 24, became the fifth player in Cleveland鈥檚 126-year franchise history to hit a home run in his first career regular-season at-bat. He is the first Guardians player to do so since Jhonkensy Noel on June 26, 2024.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound outfielder got plenty of wood on his first home run, just as he did in the ninth inning against Mariners reliever Cooper Criswell.
DeLauter hit a cutter from Criswell 422 feet, which gave Cleveland鈥檚 Cade Smith an insurance run to lock down his first save of the season.
鈥淭he last at-bat, just again, looking at another guy that mixes well,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淪o, just kind of looking for something out over the plate, and got it and a good swing on it.鈥�
DeLauter finished the night 3 for 5, which tied him with veteran slugger Rhys Hoskins for the team-lead in hits. Hoskins was particularly impressed with how unfazed DeLauter was in just his third major league game.
鈥淢aybe he doesn鈥檛 know, maybe ignorance is bliss,鈥� Hoskins said. 鈥淏ut, to have that slow of a heartbeat, in a home opener, obviously their crowd is all charged up because of what this team was able to do last year. So yeah, just super cool.鈥�
To Hoskins鈥� point, a crowd of 44,938 fans in support of the reigning American League West champions did little to slow down DeLauter. On Wednesday, DeLauter told The Associated Press it felt 鈥渁wesome鈥� just to make Cleveland鈥檚 opening day roster after hitting .452 with three home runs and nine RBIs in spring training.
鈥淚 mean, just thrilled to be around the guys,鈥� DeLauter said. 鈥淭hrilled to be available. Really excited to just play some meaningful baseball again.鈥�
DeLauter said appearing in two postseason games last year made him feel like he belonged in the majors, and that it allowed him to focus on keeping his body in good shape. Manager Stephen Vogt similarly thinks that DeLauter鈥檚 postseason experience allowed him to more easily adjust.
鈥淗e鈥檚 worked extremely hard, and he鈥檚 a very talented player,鈥� Vogt said. 鈥淪o, fun to see him have a night like tonight.鈥�
As effortless as it may have seemed at times for DeLauter, who Cleveland selected 16th overall in the 2022 amateur draft, he admitted to feeling nervous just like anybody else ahead of his first regular-season game. But rather than let those emotions overwhelm him, DeLauter elected to use them as fuel 鈥� just as he always does.
鈥淭he way I like to put it is I鈥檓 ready for it to start when I walk in the building,鈥� DeLauter said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like I鈥檓 nervous for the game. I鈥檓 anxious for it to start, and I think a lot of guys can relate that way, and that鈥檚 why we came out firing tonight.鈥�
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