OF Chase DeLauter a Constant in Milwaukee Brewers Mock Drafts
By Paul Bretl
It’s never easy to pinpoint what a team is going to do when they are on the clock in the MLB Draft, and that becomes even more true for a team like the Milwaukee Brewers, who are picking 27th overall, and we aren’t even sure who all may be available when it’s their turn to select.
However, one very popular name for the Milwaukee Brewers right now, at least among draft analysts, is James Madison outfielder Chase DeLauter.
On the surface, it’s easy to see why this is a popular pick for the Crew. DeLauter plays centerfield, and as we all know, the Brewers prefer selecting up the middle defenders — second basemen, shortstops, and centerfielders — in the first round.
He also has an impressive career slash line, and we also know that the Brewers organization is in need of an infusion of bats. Not to mention that the analytical models, as noted by Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, really like DeLauter and his upside–and again, we all know how much the Brewers value analytics.
Over his career at James Madison, which has spanned three seasons, DeLauter slashed .402/.520/.715, totaling a 1.235 OPS with 15 home runs, 27 doubles, and four triples in 256 at-bats, according to Baseball Reference. He also logged 62 walks and 45 strikeouts during that same span.
DeLauter’s best collegiate season was his most recent, where he hit .437 with an OPS of 1.404 along with eight home runs.
The left-handed swinging DeLauter would also spend time playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, which is one of the premier wood-bat baseball leagues for college prospects. In 146 plate appearances, he would slash .298/.397/.589 with nine home runs and seven doubles. DeLauter also had 21 walks to 18 strikeouts.
The James Madison centerfielder stands at 6’4″ and weighs 235 pounds. According to MLB.com, he has an overall grade of 55 out of 80, with a hit grade of 55, 60 for power, 55 for run, and 50 for both his arm and fielding.
DeLauter is considered by many one of the best prospects in this year’s draft, even considered a top pick by some. He currently sits at 18th overall in the MLB.com rankings—so there certainly is the possibility that DeLauter could be long gone before the Milwaukee Brewers are even on the clock. However, it’s important to note that he did suffer a broken foot during the spring college season.
For more on DeLauter, here is what his scouting report from MLB.com has to say about his game:
"“DeLauter could be a middle-of-the-order type of hitter. He’s put up gaudy numbers at JMU, beating up the pitching in the mid-major Colonial Athletic Conference. He has at least plus raw power and even though there’s a little drift to his lower half that causes him to be more of a front-foot hitter at times, he’s so big and strong he can still out-leverage pitching. Some might question the length in his swing path and some scouts point to being overmatched against Florida State to start the season as proof that it won’t work against better pitching, but he had no problem getting to his power with wood on the Cape, and the fact he has more walks than strikeouts in his career points to a solid approach.“DeLauter runs well, especially for his size, which helps him now in center field, though most see a move to a corner in the future. He’s shown a strong arm that has fired 90-92 mph fastballs as a pitcher in college, but has played more as average in the outfield, with a power profile that would fit well in right field.”"
The 2022 MLB Draft is set to begin on July 17th, and Chase DeLauter is certainly a name to keep your eyes on from now until then, with him being a very popular selection for the Milwaukee Brewers in many recent mock drafts. He also checks a lot of the boxes that we know the Brewers covet in their prospects.