Cleveland Guardians 1st-round pick draws comp to Astros All-Star

The Cleveland Guardians did not drafted a pitcher in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. This is news, because the front office used 19 of its 21 selections in 2021 on arms.

Instead, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff used the 16th overall pick on James Madison outfielder Chase DeLauter.

MLB Network analyst, former Rockies GM and former Tribe front office exec Dan O’Dowd compared DeLauter to first-year All-Star Kyle Tucker of the Houston Astros.

The analyst also raved about DeLauter’s performance in the Cape Cod League, a summer, wooden-bat league where the game’s future stars get a chance to show out before they enter the draft. Playing for Orleans in 2021, DeLauter hit  .298/.397/.589 with nine home runs, 21 walks and 18 strikeouts.

For James Madison, Delauter played in just 24 games before breaking his foot, but in the time he was on the field, he put up crazy numbers,  batting .437/.576/.828 with eight homers. He walked 28 times, compared to striking out 21 times.

DeLauter has the physical tools you look for in a slugging corner outfielder. He played center field in college, but look for him to switch to right or left field once he starts his pro career. He stands at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds.

When will DeLauter where a Cleveland Guardians uniform?

As a college player, DeLauter should be on a faster path to the major leagues, but he’s still probably three years, at the very least, from making his big-league debut.

This is an intriguing time for Cleveland’s minor league system, as many prospects on the farm have given the fan base reason to be excited. The promotions of Steven Kwan, Nolan Jones and Oscar Gonzalez have offered some electricity to the lineup, while other prospects such as Tyler Freeman and Will Brennan are reaching their born-on dates. Other potential future stars like pitchers Gavin Williams and Daniel Espino are also in the pipeline, while outfielder George Valera could be in a Guards uniform by sometime next season.

Since free agency isn’t an option, the Guardians need to hit on some drafts to stay competitive down the road. Picks from the last decade are starting to get their chance, while Cleveland continues to hit on trades to plug holes (the Mike Clevinger Padres swap and acquiring Andres Gimenez for Francisco Lindor).

We’ll have to wait to see if DeLauter is, as some scouts told Baseball America, was the top player in his class, and based off his stats, it’ll be a storyline worth watching.