It has been well-established by now: Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan was a bust in the first half, perhaps the most disappointing player on the roster considering expectations and actual performance.
He wrapped up that first half with an 81 wRC+, far from his career mark of 108. On Saturday alone, however, he racked up five hits, two in the first game of the doubleheader and three in the exciting walk-off win in the nightcap, to raise his batting average to .237 and his wRC+ to 88. He is starting to creep closer and closer to league-average performance, which would be huge for the Guardians’ chances.
The truth is that despite Kwan’s first-half struggles, he has been on an upward trend since June 23. Excluding Saturday’s games, he had hit .309 with a 131 wRC+ from that day until last Sunday, the final game of the opening half.
Manager Stephen Vogt praised Kwan, who has been hitting from the ninth spot in the lineup a lot in recent games. He suggested that the two-time All-Star is starting to hit his stride.
“It’s the Kwany we know. It’s been really fun to watch him,” Vogt said after the first game of the doubleheader, before going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs in the nightcap.
"It's the Kwany we know. It's been really fun to watch him"#Guardians Stephen Vogt on Steven Kwan's recent success at the plate and what he has liked form him in the 9 hole#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/inz4TBHKEP
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) July 18, 2026
Kwan, according to analyst Justin Lada, has started to use the opposite field a lot more often in recent games, as pitchers refuse to give him anything inside. He is starting to make them pay for insisting on the outer zone of the plate.
Steven Kwan has made the adjustment. Teams pitch him away, away, away. So now he's just gonna wear out the patch of grass in front of left fielders. Align with walks. That's a much needed upgrade from April, May and June.
— Justin L. (jlbaseball on bluesky) (@JL_Baseball) July 19, 2026
Until they adjust, Kwan appears primed for a nice run at the plate. Guardians fans, who were starting to lose patience, are now hopeful they will get to watch the Kwan of old.
If the Guardians can get Kwan going for a long stretch, their entire offense will benefit. This is a phenomenal fielder, having won four Gold Glove Awards in his career, who also happens to walk a lot and run the bases correctly, with few mistakes. If he can go back to being a comfortably above-average offensive player, Cleveland’s lineup could start to get dangerous.
Since June 23, Kwan has started to look like the elite contact hitter he has been for his entire career. If he can increase his power output at least a bit, Cleveland could be going places this year with their young core and the pending return of Jose Ramirez.
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