On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians, specifically manager Stephen Vogt, decided to take struggling outfielder Steven Kwan out of the leadoff spot, where he had played each one of his games this season. It was a tough call by the skipper, knowing that the All-Star has been the first hitter in the lineup for years.
Kwan, however, has had a rough campaign to this point, and the move was justified. It was the right call, and even though Vogt intends to return Kwan to where he belongs eventually, he wants him to earn that move.
Far from becoming a problem or a distraction to the team, Kwan decided to work hard to return to his preferred spot.
The results since being bumped from the leadoff spot have been remarkable. Kwan has just two hits since being removed from the top position, but he also has eight walks and just two strikeouts. That kind of plate discipline is exactly what will help him regain Vogt’s faith.
Even if the hits aren’t all falling at the moment, you can tell something clicked on Saturday, his first game out of the leadoff spot. He has done nothing but get on base and help his team since then.
On Tuesday night, Kwan hit a sacrifice fly and scored the winning run in the 4-3 win over the Tigers. It was Cleveland’s fourth consecutive victory and tenth in their last 13 games. Kwan, of course, has been helping a lot, and those four wins coincide with the moment of his ‘demotion’ in the batting order.
When that happened this past weekend, his wRC+ for the season was below 70. Now, it’s up to 78 and trending up. He is starting to get closer and closer to the league-average threshold, and even though he still has a long way to go, we are starting to see encouraging signs.
The Gold Glover recently talked about how the Guardians can punish opposing pitchers with their deep lineup, productive from one through nine. His excellent play from the bottom half of the order is actually helping Vogt and Cleveland a lot.
It may not be long before we see him again as the lineup catalyst.
NEXT: Guardians Grind Out Gritty 4-3 Win Over Tigers
