The calls to remove Steven Kwan from the leadoff spot these days have been loud. After leading the Cleveland Guardians’ offense for years, the outfielder is struggling to the tune of a .201 batting average, a .308 on-base percentage, and a 67 wRC+ in 2026.
Kwan is walking at a career-best pace, at 12.3 percent, but he is posing no threat offensively besides his patience. The Guardians can’t have him making outs at the top of the lineup when so many other hitters are hot or offer more current production than him.
That’s why manager Stephen Vogt made a decision. For Saturday, at least, the Guardians will go with Daniel Schneemann as their leadoff hitter, and Kwan will hit sixth.
Tonight's lineup.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/He4TwlsJwv
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 16, 2026
Schneemann is having a much better season than Kwan to this point. He is slashing a solid .272/.357/.447 with a 129 wRC+.
It’s too early to know whether the move will be permanent. Fans will probably have to wait until after the game to get some clarity from Vogt regarding the topic, but he has spoken highly of Kwan in the past few days. He is grateful for what he has done in Cleveland and trusts in his ability to turn things around eventually.
It does seem like he could use a bit of a breather from the leadoff role, though, and the offense will be better off if that happens, at least in the short term. And Kwan, a career .276 hitter with a .349 OBP, is more than capable of figuring things out eventually.
For now, however, Schneemann will be the guy tasked with being the catalyst, the sparkplug of the offense. Some believe Travis Bazzana is perfectly suited for that top spot in the batting order, and he will eventually get his shot, but Vogt likes to be patient with rookies.
Angel Martinez has made a couple of appearances from the leadoff spot with great success, but Vogt is trusting Schneemann for Saturday, and he has good reasons to do it. The focus will now be on Kwan and the skipper to see if he returns to hitting the struggling star first on Sunday or if he makes a permanent move.
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