The Cleveland Guardians are going through a tough time over the past few weeks due to the injuries piling up and tanking the offensive production. Chase DeLauter recently returned and has provided a boost since coming off the IL, but Angel Martinez and Jose Ramirez remain out and the rest of the lineup is tasked with picking up the slack in the meantime.
One player capable of doing much more is outfielder Steven Kwan, who has been mired in a slump for roughly an entire year at this point. Stephen Vogt dropping him to ninth in the order hasn’t helped much, as his OPS has dropped over each of the last three months down to a paltry .539 in June despite picking up six hits over his last seven games to end the month on a decent note.
Mike Petriello of MLB.com recently discussed Kwan’s struggles during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan. Petriello noted his decline in bat speed, which was never his strong suit, but has now dropped among the lowest in baseball and is causing him to rarely hit the ball hard.
“Even at his best, he was never a bat speed monster. The problem I see here with him is that the bat speed has dropped even more. He’s coming close to a 60-mile-an-hour bat speed, when the best guys are in the 80s. I have to feel like there is a floor here where if you drop below that floor, you just cannot be a successful major league hitter. I worry that he’s getting close to it,” Petriello said.
"Even at his best, he was never a bat speed monster. The problem I see here with him is that the bat speed has dropped even more. I have to feel like there is a floor here where if you drop below that floor, you just cannot be a successful major league hitter. I worry that he's… pic.twitter.com/BgIpLwg5Fb
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 2, 2026
Aside from drawing walks, every other aspect of Kwan’s offensive game has cratered. He has just one homer and nine doubles, which is a byproduct of his lack of bat speed. Even his base-running has taken a dip as he has just three steals.
Given how long this slump has lasted, the scary reality is that the old Kwan might not be coming back. This might just be who he is at this point and the Guardians are going to have to adjust accordingly.
Thankfully, his defense is still elite, but it’s disconcerting seeing him hit like this during what should be the prime of his career. Hopefully, the slight signs of life lately represent a potential turnaround, but it’s hard to envision that happening when the lack of bat speed is such a significant red flag.
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