Guardians Shine in Season-Opening Road Trip

Rookie Chase DeLauter and ace Gavin Williams lead the way for Cleveland

Apr. 3, 2026 at 5:55pm

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A cubist-style painting featuring fragmented, geometric shapes in vibrant blues, oranges, and silvers, capturing the dynamic energy of a baseball game or player in motion.The Guardians' young stars shine bright in the early season, with rookie Chase DeLauter and ace Gavin Williams leading the way.Seattle Today

The Cleveland Guardians opened their 2026 season with a successful 4-3 road trip, splitting a series against the Seattle Mariners and beating the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter made an immediate impact, hitting four home runs in his first three games, while starting pitcher Gavin Williams emerged as an early Cy Young contender with a 2.25 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 12 innings over his first two starts.

Why it matters

After winning the AL Central division the past two seasons, the Guardians are looking to three-peat in 2026. Their strong start on the road, led by the breakout performances of DeLauter and Williams, suggests they have the talent to remain atop the division and potentially make a deep playoff run.

The details

DeLauter wasted no time making an impression, hitting the first two home runs of his MLB career in his debut. He followed that up with two more homers over the next two games, giving him four long balls in his first seven games. Meanwhile, Williams has looked the part of an ace, posting a 2.25 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 12 innings across his first two starts. The rest of the Guardians' offense has been a bit quiet outside of DeLauter, but the strong pitching has kept them in games.

  • The Guardians opened the 2026 season with a 7-game road trip from March 27 to April 2.
  • DeLauter hit his first two career home runs on March 27 against the Mariners.
  • Williams struck out 10 batters in his April 2 start against the Dodgers.

The players

Chase DeLauter

A rookie outfielder for the Cleveland Guardians who has burst onto the scene with four home runs in his first seven MLB games.

Gavin Williams

A starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians who has emerged as an early Cy Young contender, posting a 2.25 ERA and 17 strikeouts in his first two starts of the season.

Jose Ramirez

The Guardians' star third baseman who is off to a slow start, hitting just .143 with one home run and five RBIs.

Steven Kwan

The Guardians' leadoff hitter and center fielder who is hitting .259 to start the season.

David Fry

A Guardians infielder who is one of the team's best hitters so far, batting over .270.

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What’s next

The Guardians will look to continue their strong start when they return home for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs starting on April 4.

The takeaway

The Guardians' successful start to the season, led by the breakout performances of rookies Chase DeLauter and Gavin Williams, suggests they have the talent to remain atop the AL Central and potentially make a deep playoff run in 2026.