Story by
How Chase DeLauter was overwhelmed after his MLB debut in the playoffs
- Story by
- How Chase DeLauter was overwhelmed after his MLB debut in the playoffs
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — As Chase DeLauter walked to the plate in Game 2 of the Guardians' 2025 Wild Card Series , the buzzing Progressive Field crowd in unison sang his walk-up song, " Take me home, Country Roads " by John Denver, several lines past when the music had stopped.
He had chills hearing them sing it for the first time, enough that he had to compose himself in the batter's box.
Advertisement
A few days later, after the series had ended and he was driving from Cleveland back to his home in Martinsburg, W.Va., "Take Me Home, Country Roads" began to play in one of his playlists. He cranked up the volume, played it on repeat over and over and sobbed as what had just happened — his major league debut, the realization of a lifelong dream come true and a whirlwind week that never gave him time to reflect — finally sank in, all at once.
"That's when it hit me," DeLauter said Feb. 15 at the team's spring training complex . "I probably listened to 'Country Roads' 10 times in a row and just bawled my eyes out, for like an hour straight. It was sick. That was probably me reflecting, [taking] a moment on what all just happened.
"It was a good moment. … I didn't cue up the song, but it came on, I was like, oh, [gotta] turn it up real loud. … I just literally kept hitting the backspace right as it ended and just kept listening."
Chase DeLauter reflects on MLB debut in 2025 postseason
It had been a wild few days.
Advertisement
DeLauter thought he'd be remaining in Columbus to get some live at-bats through the playoffs and then fly back to Arizona for the Fall League. Instead, he was directed to Cleveland and added to the Guardians ' taxi squad for the American League Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers, making him eligible to make his debut in the playoffs. Though even then, he thought he'd just be watching from the sidelines, right up until the moment he was told he'd be on the postseason roster.
"They told me Monday they were gonna activate me, and that's all she wrote," DeLauter said.
He effectively had whiplash from experiencing so many milestone moments, all in a row, before the Guardians' playoff run came to an abrupt end in the best-of-3 series with the Tigers.
"I was so focused on just trying to be where my feet were," DeLauter said. "It was, can I prepare myself to do my job today? And that was pretty much all my focus was on."
Advertisement
DeLauter began using that walk-up song in Triple-A Columbus. He had thought about using it earlier in his playing career, but he needed a crowd big enough to make it really work. He went to a high school of about 1,200 kids in West Virginia, followed by James Madison University and the lower level of the minor leagues, so none of those atmospheres really qualified.
In Triple-A, he figured enough people would be there who knew the song to make it the right choice, and it was well received. But a sellout, playoff crowd in a major league ballpark brought it to another level.
All the noise, the playoff atmosphere, the mental overload to handle it in the moment, the race to make sure he was doing his job in the biggest games of his life, it all contributed to virtually nothing sinking in until he was in his car, driving alone on the highway a few days later, and a playlist selected the one song that could send it all rushing in at the same time.
"I listened to it and, dude, I was just getting chills," DeLauter said. "It all came out."
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter warms up before Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers on Oct. 1, 2025, in Cleveland.
Chase DeLauter aims to make second MLB debut in 2026 regular season
The experience invigorated DeLauter after years of injury derailments and frustration . Last season, he was sidelined because of a core injury and then a hamate bone fracture . He hit Triple-A pitching hard (.859 OPS), but appeared in only 34 games. It was never a sure thing he'd even be healthy around the time of the playoffs, let alone that he'd get the call to make his debut in the majors in a postseason setting.
Advertisement
"Just pure motivation to figure out what I really needed to do to make my mark and just stay on the field, like going from thinking I'm going back home right to the Fall League, flip that over a couple hours to end up debuting in the playoffs," DeLauter said. "It's a whole mentality change as far as what I want to attack in the offseason."
For the first time, DeLauter felt like he had actually finished a season and could focus on an offseason rather than the winter months simply being a never-ending extension of yet another rehab process.
He wasn't pleased with some of his live at-bats at the team's complex Feb. 15. But, then again, he's out there in the batter's box instead of the trainer's room, and that has often been the No. 1 obstacle for one of the Guardians' top prospects. In a literal and figurative way, it's a breath of fresh air in the Arizona sunshine.
DeLauter will have a chance to break camp with the major league club, though he could open the season with Triple-A Columbus as the team tries to keep him healthy (and push back his service clock). The Guardians know they need to improve their offense , which ranked 28th last season, and his bat is right in the middle of those hopes.
Advertisement
"I had bad live at-bats but it's like, dude, I'm on my feet, I'm playing ball, you know what I mean?" DeLauter said. "It's made the mentality of the results and the process of everything on the field way easier and less stressful. On the flip side, it's made sure I'm prepared a little bit more, [with intent] … and the more prepared I am, the less stress I'm putting on myself."
More than anything, he just wants to hear the crowd at Progressive Field singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" again, and as soon as possible.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Guardians and Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Chase DeLauter reflects on MLB debut with Guardians in postseason
