One of the most puzzling aspects of the Cleveland Guardians’ season has been the disappointing performance from Steven Kwan at the plate. The All-Star outfielder has been struggling for a long stretch, and his batting average fell under .200 in late May.
Based on his stellar career over his first four seasons, a rebound was expected, but it just didn’t come. However, Kwan might finally be rounding into form, just when the Guardians may need him the most.
Stephen Vogt said he believes Kwan is turning a corner, and the Guardians manager is encouraged by his most recent outings, which include a 2-for-4 performance against the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
“He made an adjustment in Texas, and the ball’s been jumping off his bat a lot better, and you know that was vintage ‘Kwany’ tonight. Kwany can hit, we know that, and he’s definitely trending in the right direction,” Vogt said.
"He made an adjustment in Texas, and the ball's been jumping off his bat a lot better, and you know that was vintage Kwany tonight"#Guardians Stephen Vogt on Steven Kwan's recent success at the plate#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/qxPjZZYqQy
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) June 13, 2026
During the three-game series against the Texas Rangers that began on June 5, Kwan had five hits in 10 at-bats. In the next series, against the New York Yankees, he went 0-for-7 with one walk, but after two days off, he got back on track against the Tigers.
Kwan’s downturn at the plate may have been understandable, as he was adjusting to a new defensive position. The four-time Gold Glove left fielder willingly moved to center field this season, and he has continued to excel at that part of the game, with just one error and five assists playing either of the two positions.
His batting average was at .253 on April 17, but it eventually fell to a low of .196 on May 23. He was still drawing walks, including 13 in an eight-game span, to keep his on-base percentage in its usual career range, but he was moved out of the leadoff spot in the lineup after making all but one of his plate appearances there the prior two seasons.
This season, hitting seventh in the order, he has a slash line of .276/.358/.310 in 58 at-bats. That is compared to a slash line of .201/.308/.258 in 159 at-bats batting leadoff.
With six losses in seven games prior to the win against the Tigers, the Guardians could certainly use a complete turnaround from Kwan in their bid to win the AL Central.
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