The Steven Kwan conversation has been one of the more persistent storylines surrounding this Cleveland roster all season long, and after Friday night’s win over the Minnesota Twins, Stephen Vogt believes the corner may finally be turning.
Kwan went 2-3 with two runs scored and two walks against Minnesota, his most impactful offensive performance in recent memory. The numbers on the night were exactly what Cleveland needs from their leadoff hitter on a consistent basis, and Vogt did not hide his enthusiasm when asked about what he saw from his leadoff fielder.
“We all know how good [Steven Kwan] is. We’re starting to see Kwannie start to look more like him. When he gets on base, we win. It’s as simple as that. And it’s maybe unfair to put that on him, but that’s how good he is,” Vogt said.
"When he gets on base, we win. It's as simple as that. And it's maybe unfair to put that on him, but that's how good he is."#Guardians Stephen Vogt is happy to see Steven Kwan looking more like himself #GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/c0pUPq8G0D
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 9, 2026
When Kwan gets on base, the entire Cleveland lineup operates differently. The pressure he creates at the top of the order forces pitchers to work from the stretch, opens up the running game, and puts José Ramírez in situations where he can do real damage. When Kwan is not getting on base, the whole machine loses a step.
Friday night was a reminder of what the machine looks like when it is running right. Kwan led off the first inning with a single against Twins rookie Connor Prielipp, moved to second on a hit by pitch, and eventually scored as part of the four-run first inning that put the game out of reach early. His ability to set the table in that opening frame was the spark that allowed everything else, including Travis Bazzana’s 427-foot home run, to follow.
Through 140 at-bats in 2026, Kwan is hitting .221 with a .321 on-base percentage and a .607 OPS. The overall line is still below what this organization expects from him, but the on-base percentage is climbing and the at-bat quality over the last week has looked noticeably better than what Cleveland was getting from him in April.
For context, Kwan’s career on-base percentage sits at .350 across 2,446 big league at-bats. He is a two-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner who has been one of the most consistent players on this roster since his debut in 2022.
Vogt was right to point out that it may be unfair to place so much responsibility on one player’s shoulders. But he was equally right to acknowledge that this is simply the reality of how good Kwan is and how much he means to how Cleveland wins baseball games.
The Chosen Kwan may be finding his way back.
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