Guardians' Offensive Approach Has Turned Steven Kwan Into a Monster

Steven Kwan has gone from a relative unknown to one of the best players in baseball overnight.

uJun 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) rounds the bases on his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, Steven Kwan and the Cleveland Guardians were not exactly offensive juggernauts. They ranked 27th in OPS, 27th in runs scores and dead last in home runs (and by a wide margin, too).

Things have certainly taken a turn for the better in 2024.

Thanks much in part to some inhuman contributions from Kwan, the Guardians' offense is experiencing a Renaissance, ranking 10th in OPS, fifth in runs and ninth in long balls.

First-year Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt and hitting coach Chris Valaika have emphasized an aggressive approach at the plate for their players, and it is paying massive dividends.

That is especially the case for Kwan, who is slashing .390/.448/.575 with seven home runs and 23 RBI over 222 plate appearances.

Kwan's power surge has been surprising, to say the least, as the outfielder has homered in back-to-back games and has already achieved a career-high in dingers for the year.

“He’s not missing mistakes,” Vogt said, via Jim Ingraham of Forbes. “He takes what the pitcher gives him and never tries to do too much. When he recognizes a pitch he can drive, he’s going for it and he is not missing it.”

I'll say.

Kwan has only struck out 16 times all year and recently had a streak of 44 plate appearances without a punchout come to an end.

“He has such good decision making and zone control that you are not going to see him chase a lot," said Valaika, who has served as the Guardians' hitting coach since 2022. "When he takes a shot, it’s going to be on a pitch he wants rather than following some pitcher’s plan.”

Kwan currently boasts a 1.023 OPS, which ranks third only to New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani.

The 26-year-old certainly isn't the only major contributor in Cleveland's offense, but he has absolutely been the driving force, setting the table for big boppers Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor. The two sluggers have combined for 39 home runs through 75 games.

Kwan made his major-league debut in 2022, slashing .298/.373/.400 with six home runs and 52 RBI across 638 trips to the dish. Last year, he took a bit of a step back, slashing .268/.340/.370 with five homers and 54 RBI.

Needless to say, the Oregon State product has broken out in a big way in 2024.