The Cleveland Guardians have been experimenting with Steven Kwan in center field, and it seems to be going well so far. However, it has only been a handful of games in spring training, which is far different than the grind of the regular season.
Kwan has struggled with that in the past, showing a drop in production as the schedule goes along. So it’s fair to wonder what effect playing a more demanding position than his usual left field spot will have on him.
Analyst Justin Lada recently addressed those major concerns about Kwan playing center field, and he said the downside may outweigh the benefits.
“Kwan is playing pretty well in center field defensively. Not surprised there. The question’s going to be, he’s already had durability concerns in left field, how much more is center field going to sink from him if he can’t keep up? Is it really worth it if you sink Kwan faster than he already sinks and struggles to play well in the summer? I don’t know if this offense can afford to do that,” Lada said.
Ironically, the Guardians are considering moving the four-time Gold Glove left fielder to a new position in part to ease the burden on incoming prospects Chase DeLauter and George Valera. It is thought that the young players will be better able to manage their first full MLB season by playing the less-demanding corner spots on defense.
Kwan has been more than willing to accept the challenge for the good of the team, but manager Stephen Vogt may have to decide what that truly is. If Kwan is the one whose offensive production falls off, it would rob them of arguably their second-best hitter, behind third baseman Jose Ramirez.
The concern may be warranted. Last season, Kwan carried a .300 batting average and an almost .800 OPS into June, but it declined from there, including a .214 batting average and .514 OPS in August while dealing with a wrist injury. The year before, despite a hamstring issue, he was batting well over .300 entering July, but it steadily declined over the final three months of the season.
Fortunately, the Guardians were able to overcome that decline in production to win the AL Central in each season. In addition, they have several options that would allow Kwan to take a few days off, instead of playing his accustomed 150-plus games.
Kwan is one of Cleveland’s best offensive and defensive players, so they should take great care to make sure he can be at the top of his game for the entire campaign.
NEXT: Guardians Outfielder Continues Struggles in Spring Training
