Steven Kwan has been one of the Cleveland Guardians’ best players in their excellent 2024 campaign.
As of Sunday morning, he is hitting an elite .326/.382/.479 with 12 home runs and a career-high .861 OPS.
To say he has struggled in the second half so far would be an understatement, though.
He is slashing .226/.279/.369 with a .648 OPS after the All-Star break.
For a leadoff hitter, that .279 is a death sentence.
For Kwan, however, it’s probably a rough patch since he has earned the right to struggle for a little while.
Manager Stephen Vogt, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, media and fans know that he will get going eventually.
If Saturday night is any indication, he might have already started turning things around.
With a leadoff home run, Kwan led the way to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins that allows Cleveland to breathe a bit, regaining a 2.5-game lead in the AL Central.
Can he do it? Yes he Kwan!#ForTheLand | @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/6Kq6rCNsER
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) August 10, 2024
He preached patience in the postgame interview with Bally Sports Cleveland.
After all, it’s a long season for a reason.
“You can’t get caught up in the short sample size. It’s 162 for a reason.” Steven Kwan catches up with @DreKnott postgame to explain how he and his teammates have been able to remain focused during their most recent struggles,” they tweeted.
https://x.com/BallySportsCLE/status/1822452705966911695
Kwan knew that he had to everything in his power to show up on Saturday.
Had Cleveland lost, the Twins would be just half a game behind.
What a better way to end a seven-game losing streak than homering in the first at-bat of the game, which is exactly what Kwan did.
The All-Star and his teammates will try to make it a 3.5-game gap on Sunday in the series finale.
NEXT: Guardians Snap Seven-Game Losing Streak With Key Win In Minnesota
