Three Positives from the Week of March 10th

Another Monday, another weekend over with. In addition to that much needed cup of coffee (and maybe a donut), here’s a little pick-me-up for all your baseball needs.

DeLauter is DeWinner of Spring

Chase DeLauter was Cleveland’s first pick in the 2022 draft out of James Madison.Currently the team’s No. 1 prospect and No. 31 in all of MLB, there was no doubt that he would get an invite to Spring Training. However, the fact that he’s made it through the first couple of rounds of demotions is a bit further than some thought he would go.

He is currently hitting an outrageous .474/.545/.842 in 11 games with the club. While there’s little doubt he’ll head back to the Minors to start the season, there’s lots to be hopeful for with this young star. At just 22 years old (and two months younger than me, yikes), he has shown a level of professionalism and dedication that lots of young players haven’t yet learned at his age. We’re all counting down the days until he shows up in Cleveland.

Good (ish) News for Gavin Williams

On March 10th, it was reported that Gavin Williams made an awkward throw and felt some discomfort in his elbow. This immediately shut him down from throwing and any in-game action. However, the first report about his condition since this shutdown was released on Wednesday and could have been much worse.

Pitching coach Carl Willis shared that Williams is still day-to-day, but so far everything looks good. His condition is steadily improving and Willis thinks that he’ll be able to throw from a mound soon. On Thursday, Mandy Bell reported that he had an MRI which checked out good. He will start the season on the Injured List, but should be able to start throwing any day now.

Winning Week

While the Guardians haven’t had the best Spring so far, sitting at 9-12, the past week was a good one. Across eight games from Sunday to Sunday, Cleveland went 5-3 including a huge 13-7 win over Colorado. While the Spring games don’t necessarily mean much, it is very satisfying to see their record improving as the weeks go by.

As players begin to be optioned to the Minors and the Opening Day roster begins to take shape, we’re getting closer and closer to seeing what the 2024 team will look – and play – like. If they continue to play as well as they did this week, I think we’ll be in pretty good shape for the season.