Steven Kwan is tied for 18th in the American League with 74 hits.
You might not think that is particularly impressive.
However, everyone in the top 25 in the category has at least 68 games played as of Friday afternoon.
Kwan? He has just 46.
He missed a total of 23 games with a hamstring strain, yet has managed to be among the league leaders in many offensive categories including hits.
He still isn’t a qualified hitter (he is close, though!), but if he were, he would lead the whole MLB with a brilliant .396 batting average.
He is also tied for 11th in runs scored; again, after missing more than 20 games, it’s quite an achievement.
He has been an offensive machine.
The question, therefore, is this: does he deserve MVP consideration?
The folks at MLB Network marveled at his batting average and wondered, in the caption of the following tweet, if he was a legitimate MVP candidate.
“Steven Kwan is hitting .396 this season. Is the @CleGuardians star playing his way into the MVP conversation? #MLBTonight,” they tweeted.
Steven Kwan is hitting .396 this season 🤯
Is the @CleGuardians star playing his way into the MVP conversation? #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/HKFhUzQh7n
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 21, 2024
The discussion centered around his elite bat-to-ball skills, but the question they pose on the tweet is definitely legitimate.
Kwan, barring an injury, will become a qualified hitter within the next few days and will become the league leader in batting average.
He is also hitting for power, with 11 doubles, two triples, five homers and a .556 slugging percentage.
He is also an asset on the basepaths and, particularly, on defense back in the outfield.
Kwan is of the rare breed that draws more walks (19) than he strikes out (15).
He is a special player, and if you wanted a stat to convince yourself he is playing at an MVP level, here it is: Kwan is, among players with at least 200 plate appearances, second in MLB in OPS with 1.013 mark.
Only Aaron Judge has been better.
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