The Cleveland Guardians offense is certainly more talented than it was last year or the year before, but it’s still an inconsistent unit. They are capable of scoring 14 runs on a given day, then go through a three-game stretch producing just four runs.
It all starts at the top. Guardians’ leadoff hitters have the fifth-worst wRC+ in baseball at 73. That’s just too much to overcome for any offense.
By now, it’s clear that having the struggling Steven Kwan leading things off day in and day out is a problem. He’s just not producing, and fans and even the media are calling for a change.
Kwan has been a reliable MLB hitter for years, with the perfect skillset to be the first in the lineup: contact, patience, and plate discipline. He is, however, in a deep slump, evidenced by his disappointing .204/.307/.263 line and his 68 wRC+ in 178 plate appearances.
Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com went through some potential candidates to take over the first spot in the Guardians’ lineup. Kwan is still probably the long-term answer, but he can’t be leading off with his current form.
“Who would be the leading candidate to replace Kwan? Rookie Travis Bazzana could be a choice. He spent his college career and minor league career hitting at the top of the lineup, including the leadoff spot. Vogt has eased him into the lineup, never hitting him higher than fifth. To put him in the leadoff spot would be a big ask,” Hoynes said.
Bazzana currently has a .423 OBP and has shown he isn’t fazed by MLB pitching. Vogt likes to ease rookies in and slowly increase what they have on their plate, but Bazzana isn’t just any other first-year player. He has top prospect pedigree, he is producing, he is getting on base, and he could be one of the league’s best leadoff hitters if given the chance because he has patience, discipline, and speed.
Other players could fill the role, too, per Hoynes.
“Other candidates could be Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann. Martinez has made two starts and Schneemann one at the top of the lineup this season when Kwan needed a day off or was getting treatment for a stiff neck,” Hoynes wrote.
Martinez has cooled off some after a scintillating start, but he is still hitting .250 and has a 101 wRC+. His .293 OBP isn’t perfect for the leadoff role, but he has a different profile in which contact, some power, and speed are the primary traits.
Schneemann could be better suited for the position than Martinez, with his 130 wRC+ and .355 OBP. He could be more useful as a run-producing, middle-of-the-order type, though.
In any case, all three players would be better alternatives than Kwan to lead off the Guardians offense at the moment.
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