Steven Kwan’s season has taken a sharp turn, and the Guardians are feeling every bit of it.
After spending much of the year searching for his swing, Kwan finally found it and then some. Since July 1, he has been the hottest hitter in baseball, and Cleveland is hoping that doesn’t get interrupted for long after he crashed into the wall while trying to make a catch against the New York Mets on Wednesday. He sat out the series finale on Thursday, and with a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox set to begin Friday, his availability matters plenty.
“The day off comes in the middle of Kwan’s hottest stretch of the season. Since July 1, he’s led the majors with a .398 batting average and .486 on-base percentage while raising his season average from .212 to .260,” Joe Noga wrote.
That kind of climb is rare this deep into the season. Kwan piled up 31 hits in July, hitting .403 with a .484 on-base percentage for the month, and he has kept it rolling into August with six hits in 16 at-bats.
The turnaround is especially striking considering where he was not long ago. The two-time All-Star was hovering around .200 in the middle of May, a slump that came while he was adjusting to a move from left field to center field and also dealing with a personal matter that pulled him away from the team for a few days.
He’s back in the leadoff spot now, the place he occupied for nearly all of his first four seasons. That move has lined up with a rough stretch for Cleveland, though, as the Guardians have stumbled after the All-Star break and fallen out of the playoff position they held for the entire season.
With a seven-game road trip coming against the White Sox and Detroit Tigers, the timing couldn’t be much bigger for Cleveland. The Guardians need Kwan in the lineup, and they need the version of him that’s been tearing through pitchers since the start of July.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Lost A Familiar Infielder In A Roster Squeeze
Gabriel Arias has been a familiar part of the Guardians roster conversation since 2022, valued most for his defensive versatility even as his bat never quite found consistent footing. Clevelands decision to move on from him came as the club continued reshaping its roster around younger talent, with the organization creating space for top prospect Angel Genao on the 40-man.
Arias did not stay available for long. Once he hit waivers, another team moved quickly, underscoring how a glove-first infielder with major league experience can still carry appeal even after an uneven run at the plate. For Cleveland, it is another reminder that roster squeezes can turn into quick departures, especially when a prospect push forces a tough choice. [Read more 🡒]
Nathaniel Lowe Is Giving Cleveland Hope At A Position Still In Flux
Clevelands latest skid has only sharpened the attention on first base, where the Guardians are still trying to find something stable after a busy trade deadline and a rough stretch that has included five losses in six games. Nathaniel Lowe arrived from Cincinnati as one of five new players added at the deadline, and early on he has looked like a useful fit, giving the lineup a needed jolt at a spot that has not offered much certainty.
The timing matters because Kyle Manzardo was demoted after his production slipped this season, leaving the Guardians with even more of a long-term question there. Lowes strong start has at least given Cleveland a credible option to lean on while the organization keeps sorting out how it wants to handle the position, especially against right-handed pitching, where the future picture still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Pitching Depth Test Before White Sox Series
The Guardians are heading into their White Sox series with a little less margin on the mound after adding another hit to the pitching depth chart. Cleveland had already been navigating the usual midseason grind, and now it will have to cover innings without one of the arms it had been counting on, turning to its organizational depth for a quick answer.
Franco Aleman is the next man up, back from Triple-A after spending much of the season in relief work. The right-hander has already shown he can miss bats with a fastball that brings real velocity, and his early major league line has been serviceable enough to keep him in the mix. For the Guardians, the immediate question is how long they can piece things together while waiting for the rotation picture to settle. [Read more 🡒]