Who has a better chance to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award: Parker Messick or Chase DeLauter? [Kbb7HGC2BUG]
The Cleveland Guardians have two very real early-season AL Rookie of the Year storylines, and that’s what makes this such a fun conversation right now. On one side, you’ve got Chase DeLauter putting up real offensive production through April 21, batting .221 with 5 home runs, 15 RBI, and an .829 OPS. On the other, Parker Messick has been lights out on the mound, opening 2026 at 3-0 with a 1.76 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and a 0.88 WHIP in 30.2 innings. That alone tells you this isn’t a simple bat-vs-arm debate — it’s impact vs impact, just in very different forms. What makes DeLauter’s case interesting is that even while the batting average has cooled off from his hot start, the power and run production are still there. He just delivered a go-ahead three-run triple in Cleveland’s April 22 win over Houston, and MLB had him ranked No. 1 in an early AL/NL Rookie of the Year contenders piece just a few days ago. Messick, though, is right there too — MLB’s same early ranking had him third among the top rookie contenders, and the shape of his season so far has been hard to ignore for a first-year pitcher. So who has the better chance right now? That’s really the debate. Does the edge go to the rookie outfielder with the louder offensive flashes and bigger top-of-the-list buzz, or to the rookie lefty who has arguably been the steadier performer start to start? That’s where the conversation lives through the 2026 season so far — not in a definitive answer, but in whether you value DeLauter’s power-profile visibility more than Messick’s early consistency on the mound. For Cleveland, the bigger win might just be that both guys have already made this a legitimate question. Subscribe and ring the bell for the latest talk about the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Cavaliers and Ohio State Buckeyes: Follow on Twitter: Watch live on YouTube 11 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays on YouTube and WKYC+ on your Roku and Fire TV apps! The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show is your daily source of the best conversation about the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Cavaliers and Ohio State Buckeyes, as well as sports throughout Northeast Ohio. Produced by Mike Lucas, Anthony Antonelli, and Earl Mauldin. Hosted by Jay Crawford, Adam the Bull, G Bush, Jason Lloyd, and Tyvis Powell.