Ever since he made his MLB debut in 2022, Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan has been a fixture at the top of the lineup. He developed into an All-Star player and one of the most reliable leadoff hitters in the league.
With a career line of .277/.348/.382 and a 109 wRC+ before Monday’s game, he has offered the Guardians elite contact skills and on-base ability over the years, even if his power is and has always been below-average. Even in his worst season offensively, he managed to put together a 99 wRC+, virtually league-average production, in 2023 and 2025.
Things, however, have been very different in 2026. Kwan remains one of the least productive batters in the Guardians lineup, and manager Stephen Vogt’s insistence on hitting him leadoff has hindered the overall offensive output of the team.
Some fans have been calling for Vogt to remove him from the first spot in the lineup.
“Square peg, round hole, please stop hitting Kwan lead-off. Other options… Bazzana .396 OBP, DeLauter .379 OBP, Rocchio .360 OBP, Schneemann .358 OBP,” he said.
Square peg round hole, please stop hitting Kwan lead-off.
Other options…
Bazzana .396 OBP
DeLauter .379 OBP
Rocchio .360 OBP
Schneemann .358 OBP— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 11, 2026
There’s a chance that Kwan, who went 0-for-3 with two walks on Monday’s opener against the Los Angeles Angels to leave his batting average at .204 and his OBP at .307, bounces back eventually. He will do so at some point, in all likelihood, because the track record is too good to suggest he suddenly morphed into a 67-wRC+ hitter during his prime. Vogt should give him every chance to regain his form, just not at the top of the lineup for the time being.
People often underestimate the sheer number of runs lost by penciling a struggling hitter at the top. The first batter is not only supposed to set the tone, but over the course of the season, he is the one getting the most plate appearances.
As the insider indicates, the Guardians have plenty of viable alternatives to be at the top of the batting order right now. For example, Travis Bazzana is an on-base machine, and so is Chase DeLauter. It makes sense to use one of them as the leadoff guy and let Kwan figure things out near the bottom of the lineup.
Of course, it takes guts to make this kind of ‘demotion’, especially when it involves a respected veteran like Kwan. He has shown time and again that he is the ultimate team player and likely won’t disrupt the clubhouse harmony by making a fuss out of it, though.
NEXT: Guardians Bounce Back In A Big Way With Win Over Angels
