The Cleveland Guardians lost 4-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, and now their record is an even 51-51.
They had won 11 of their last 13 before Thursday’s defeat, so it’s fair to say they played some excellent baseball in recent games.
Two of Cleveland’s runs came courtesy of an All-Star outfielder who happens to be pursued by half the league: Steven Kwan.
Contenders love Kwan and want him on their team because of his incredible bat-to-ball skills, his ability to avoid strikeouts, his speed, elite defense, and penchant for drawing walks.
Many of them ignore, however, that Kwan is far from perfect in the power department.
On Thursday, he hit not one, but two solo home runs from the top of the Guardians’ lineup to reach eight on the year.
His teammates failed to support his masterpiece, which also included a walk, but Kwan did his best to avoid a loss.
Known power hitter, Steven Kwan.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/uc1AmMjuCi
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 24, 2025
Last year, Kwan established a new career-high in home runs with 14, in just 122 games.
Many believed he could reach as many as 20 this year, but after a torrid first month in which he hit four, he cooled off in the power department.
He hadn’t knocked a ball out of the park since June 13, so Thursday represented a nice little breakout in that area.
It comes at a very opportune time for the Guardians, just a few days shy of the trade deadline.
If we add the fact that he could flirt with 15-20 homers to his skill set, his trade value will only go up.
That’s music to the Guardians’ ears as they consider whether to trade him or keep him.
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