Steven Kwan has spent much of the 2026 season searching for the version of himself that made him one of the most reliable contact hitters in baseball. Kwan is hitting just .221 with a .607 OPS on the season, a steep drop from the career norms that once made him a perennial batting average threat near the top of Cleveland’s lineup. Even a strong showing in Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota, where he reached base in his only plate appearance, has done little to change the broader narrative around his season.
BIGPLAY Cleveland’s Matt Fontana addressed the growing frustration with Kwan.
“You have got to accept that Steven Kwan is cooked. Just accept it. Because once you do, and once the organization does, we’ll be in a better spot. If he can continue to be a Gold Glove, premier defensive corner outfielder, I’ll live with that, and you’re batting eighth. I think the world will be a lot easier when you do as I have done, and just accept that Steven Kwan’s bat is gone, and he probably won’t find it again,” Fontana said.
"You have got to accept that Steven Kwan is cooked. Just accept it. Because once you do, and once the organization does, we'll be in a better spot."@MattFontana83 is out on Kwan. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/SvYNB9p9d7
— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) July 8, 2026
A career .275 hitter now producing a sub.225 average is not the profile that would have justified a significant extension, and Fontana’s comments essentially argue that Cleveland should stop waiting for a turnaround and instead adjust its expectations of Kwan going forward.
Kwan remains an elite defender in the outfield, and shifting expectations toward a Gold Glove caliber glove hitting from the bottom of the order is a very different value proposition than a middle of the order bat in decline. Cleveland has other young outfield options pushing for playing time, including Chase DeLauter, who has been red hot since returning from injury, and Kahlil Watson, giving the front office real flexibility if it decides Kwan’s role needs to change.
His defense alone still carries real value for a Cleveland pitching staff, but the days of penciling him in as a top-of-the-order could be gone if his production does not turn around soon. For now, Fontana’s verdict reflects a growing sentiment that Cleveland may need to find a new identity for Kwan within this lineup rather than waiting for the old one to return.
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