Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan is a very solid baseball player.
His defense in left is magnificent, he has speed, he is athletic, he makes plenty of contact, and his plate discipline is fantastic.
If there is a flaw in his game, it’s his power.
In two full seasons as a major leaguer, Kwan has hit the grand total of 11 home runs.
There is a lot of value in having a fundamentally sound player like Kwan in the field and in the lineup even if his power is modest.
However, if he could improve his power output in 2024, the Guardians, and fans, would be very happy.
He seems eager to do just that, and has been getting pointers and working out with accomplished “small power hitter” Jose Ramirez.
“Steven Kwan said he has been working with José Ramírez this offseason to try to pick up a little bat speed. Ramírez found power as he grew, Kwan looking for a little ‘tick’ up in that department,” Cleveland reporter Hayden Grove tweeted.
Steven Kwan said he has been working with José Ramírez this offseason to try to pick up a little bat speed.
Ramírez found power as he grew, Kwan looking for a little “tick” up in that department.#Guardians pic.twitter.com/WCPDCMNjwq
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) January 20, 2024
There is some potential in Kwan: in 2021, between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit 12 home runs and slugged over .500 at both stops.
Ramirez, like Kwan, has elite bat-to-ball skills.
Perhaps he can teach Kwan how to pull fly balls so he can hit more homers.
He will likely have to sacrifice some batting average (he is at .282 for his career), but hitting for more power would likely make him a more productive offensive player.
With the kind of defensive and baserunning contributions he makes, he will have a solid floor as a player regardless.
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