Steven Kwan’s season has been a grind for months, but the Cleveland Guardians are finally seeing signs that the bat is waking up.
That matters now more than ever. With Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez on the injured list, Cleveland has needed someone to absorb some of the offensive load, and Kwan has started to answer that call with his best run since the opening stretch of the year.
Against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Kwan kept it going by stretching his hitting streak to eight games. “Steven Kwan added an infield single in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to a season-high eight games and has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 contests, batting .316 during that stretch,” Joe Noga wrote.
The numbers are still modest by Kwan’s standards, but they are moving in the right direction. His batting average has climbed 15 points to .221, a meaningful jump after sitting at a season-low .196 on May 23. For a player who entered the year with a career average of .282, that kind of slide was hard to ignore.
There were plenty of explanations floating around for why Kwan had been so far off his usual level. He was moved out of the leadoff spot he knows so well, and his OPS sat among the worst in the majors. At one point, there was even talk of a possible trip to the minors.
Kwan also had to adjust to a different defensive routine. He entered the season willing to shift to center field after winning a Gold Glove in each of his first four seasons in left. That back-and-forth between spots may have taken some time to settle in, but it now looks like the adjustment is becoming less of a hurdle.
There’s also the contract situation hanging over him. Kwan is still looking for an extension from the Guardians, and that has kept him in trade rumors as well. With the Aug. 3 deadline approaching, those whispers could pick up again, especially if his recent production keeps trending up and changes how Cleveland views any possible move.
The 28-year-old also missed time earlier in the season because of an unspecified family matter, adding another layer to a year that has already asked plenty of him.
For the Guardians, the hope is simple: keep this version of Kwan rolling. In a tight AL playoff race, they can use every bit of help they can get.
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The latest setback came after a brutal run at Triple-A El Paso, where the command issues that have followed him for months never really let up. For a pitcher whose appeal has always started with feel and strike-throwing, the numbers told a harsh story, and now free agency gives him another reset point even as the unanswered question around his comeback remains the one that matters most. [Read more 🡒]