Guardians' Steven Kwan Credits Pinball for Making Him a Great Baseball Player

Karl Rasmussen | Aug 23, 2024

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) singles in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan is in the midst of the best season of his career, having been named to the All-Star Game for the first time in July.

Amid his breakout campaign that's seen him register a .310 batting average through 101 games, Kwan credited a rather unusual source for his exceptional hand-eye coordination.

During a recent interview with MLB.com, Kwan revealed that he has a propensity for playing pinball which stems from his parents' love for the game. Kwan noted that he's been playing since he was three years old, and that his father thinks its the root of his talent for baseball.

"I think my dad will say there's definitely some hand-eye coordination," said Kwan when drawing a comparison between pinball and baseball.

Steven Kwan might’ve become a better baseball player by playing pinball 👀

He's been playing machines since he was 3 years old! pic.twitter.com/89inHl5v0j

— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2024

"My dad and my mom love playing pinball. When I was like three years old they threw me on. I think they were surprised that I was making any kind of contact. But my dad swears I'm a contact hitter because of that. I'll ride that legacy out, there's probably some hand-eye coordination in there," he added.

Kwan's ability to hit for contact has made him a mainstay atop Cleveland's batting order, and although he and the rest of the Guardians have slumped a bit in the second half, he's still en route towards his first season batting above .300.