The Cleveland Guardians have enjoyed elite production from leadoff hitter Steven Kwan.
This is no secret: he has been among the most valuable players in the American League even though he doesn’t have game-changing power.
What he has is the incredible ability to reach base at an incredible rate.
The guy takes walks, rarely strikes out, and boasts remarkable bat-to-ball skills.
These set of resources allow him to accumulate hits like few other players in the game.
The only reason why he isn’t among the league leaders in hits is because he missed more than 20 games with a hamstring strain.
Even then, he leads MLB with nine three-hit games, per Codify Baseball.
“Most games with 3+ hits this season: Steven Kwan, 9 <– missed 23 games! Mookie Betts, 8, Luis Arráez, 8, José Altuve, 8, Ezequiel Tovar, 8, Bobby Witt Jr., 7, Shohei Ohtani, 7, Fernando Tatis Jr., 7, Juan Soto, 7, Yordan Alvarez, 7, Ketel Marte, 7, William Contreras, 7, Will Smith, 7,” they tweeted.
Most games with 3+ hits this season:
Steven Kwan, 9 <– missed 23 games! 😮
Mookie Betts, 8
Luis Arráez, 8
José Altuve, 8
Ezequiel Tovar, 8
Bobby Witt Jr., 7
Shohei Ohtani, 7
Fernando Tatis Jr., 7
Juan Soto, 7
Yordan Alvarez, 7
Ketel Marte, 7
William Contreras, 7
Will Smith, 7 pic.twitter.com/hznyLq5KJo— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 12, 2024
When the guy has a great game, you can tell because he is always on base.
Always.
If it isn’t via walk, it’s via a base hit… or three.
One of the reasons behind the Guardians’ offensive success this season is definitely Kwan being on base often for the run-producers to do their thing: Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, David Fry, Tyler Freeman and company have a constant presence on the basepaths.
Kwan is 15-for-30 (.500) since returning from the injured list so no, he didn’t miss a beat.
As long as he is healthy, the Guardians offense will likely flow smoothly.
Kwan has evolved into a top leadoff hitter in 2024.
NEXT: Steven Kwan Is Part Of Elite Active Streak In MLB
