DeLauter attended
Hedgesville High School in
Hedgesville, West Virginia, where he played
football,
basketball, and
baseball.[1] In 2018, as a junior, he batted .500 and also pitched to a 1.95 ERA with 64 strikeouts.[2] As a senior in 2019, he went 9-2 with a 0.84 ERA over 66 innings alongside hitting .606 with eight home runs, 52 RBIs, and 21 doubles.[3] He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of West Virginia.[4][5]
After graduating high school, DeLauter enrolled at
James Madison University to play
college baseball. As a freshman in 2020, DeLauter earned a starting spot and batted .382 with 26 hits and 14 RBIs over 16 games before the season was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.[6] He earned Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.[7] He played in the
Rockingham County Baseball League for the Broadway Bruins that summer where he batted .527 with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs over thirty games.[8] In 2021, as a redshirt freshman, he slashed .386/.500/.723 with six home runs, 21 RBIs, and a 1.231
OPS over 26 games.[9] He missed two games during the season due to injury.[10] Following the season's end, he played
collegiate summer baseball for the
Orleans Firebirds of the
Cape Cod Baseball League where he was named a league all-star and earned the Robert A. McNeese Outstanding Pro Prospect Award after batting .298 with nine home runs over 34 games.[11][12][13][14][15] DeLauter entered the 2022 season as a top prospect for the upcoming draft.[16][17] In early April, he broke his foot and missed the remainder of the season.[18] Over 24 games before the injury, he batted .437 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.[19] Following the season's end, he traveled to
San Diego where he participated in the Draft Combine.[20]
Professional career
The
Cleveland Guardians selected DeLauter in the first round with the 16th overall selection of the
2022 Major League Baseball draft.[21] He signed with the team for $3.75 million.[22] He did not play for the organization in 2022 due to a broken foot he suffered in the spring.
On January 10, 2023, DeLauter underwent surgery to address a fracture in the fifth toe of his left foot, sidelining him for 4-5 months.[23] He made his professional debut in June with the
Arizona Complex League Guardians and was later promoted to the
Lake County Captains and
Akron RubberDucks.[24] Over 57 games, he batted .355 with five home runs and 39 RBIs.[25] After the season, he was selected to play in the
Arizona Fall League for the
Peoria Javelinas.[26] DeLauter was assigned to Akron to open the 2024 season.[27]