Guardians' Steven Kwan Earns Major Recognition Despite Struggles

Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan has had a rough second half, but he is still earning massive praise for the impact he has had this season.

Sep 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) celebrates his solo home run with designated hitter Kyle Manzardo (9) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

To say that the second half of the season has been a struggle for Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan would be putting it lightly.

After a blistering first couple of months of the season where Kwan was flirting with .400 through June, the first-time All-Star fell into a dreadful slump.

Kwan slashed posted a .666 OPS in July (yikes), slashed .207/.313/.297 in August and is hitting just .200 in September. Throw in a recent IL stint on top of that, and things have not exactly been going Kwan's way since the dog days of summer.

However, that did not stop Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter from ranking him the Guardians' second-best position player, one spot ahead of Josh Naylor.

Kwan's overall numbers are solid, as he is slashing .292/.365/.426 with 14 home runs and 44 RBI over 536 plate appearances on the season. He also boasts a 124 OPS+ and has also played sparkling defense in left field with nine defensive runs saved.

In spite of his second-half horrors, Kwan has played a crucial role in helping Cleveland notch one of the best records in baseball.

Of course, it would be nice if Kwan's bat could wake up in time for the playoffs. He did hit a home run in his return from the injured list, so maybe that's a good sign going forward.

The 27-year-old broke into the big leagues in 2022 and owns a lifetime slash line of .285/.358/.396.

We'll see if Kwan can help deliver the Guardians' first World Series title since 1948.