Guardians Outfielder Is Quietly Turning Things Around

It took much longer than the Cleveland Guardians would have hoped, but Steven Kwan is starting to look like himself again. The All-Star outfielder was having a miserable season, but he regained his form when the Guardians needed him most.

Cleveland lost outfielders Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez, in addition to third baseman Jose Ramirez, to injury in the same game on June 13. It could have been a devastating blow to the Guardians’ already pedestrian offense, particularly with Kwan carrying a batting average barely above .200.

Fortunately, as a player of his caliber was likely to do, the Guardians outfielder is quietly turning things around, with a 2-for-4 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday extending his hitting streak to six games.

“Everything is coming up Steven Kwan right now. Safety squeeze RBI bunt single ties it at 1. He has a hit in 18 of his past 21 games,” Tim Stebbins of MLB.com posted.

Everything is coming up Steven Kwan right now.

Safety squeeze RBI bunt single ties it at 1.

He has a hit in 18 of his past 21 games.

— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) July 19, 2026

The Guardians may have dropped the series to the Pirates with that 7-1 loss, but it certainly wasn’t Kwan’s fault. In the three games, he went 7-for-10 with one walk, pushing his season batting average to .240, which is the highest it’s been since April 18.

Kwan was batting under .200 in late May, and there could have been several reasons for such a dramatic fall. A four-time Gold Glove winner in left field, Kwan willingly moved to center field to help the Guardians use a better lineup. However, that adjustment, plus a family matter that required a few days away from the team, may have weighed more heavily on the 28-year-old than expected.

Add to that his uncertain future based on his failed pursuit of a contract extension and persistent trade rumors surrounding him, and Kwan was dealing with more than a typical player would during an entire season. His breakthrough came at just the right time as the Guardians find themselves in a tight AL Central race with the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers entering the final two months of the season.

DeLauter returned in late June, Martinez is taking part in a rehab assignment, and Ramirez is expected back sometime in the next few weeks, so if Kwan can keep up this kind of performance, the Guardians should find themselves in good shape heading down the stretch.