Guardians newest lineup change could help unlock Steven Kwan (and offense as a whole)

Prior to the start of the Guardians’ game against the Twins on Monday, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged that he's had to have “some really tough conversations” with Steven Kwan this season. 

While Kwan started the year with the intention of keeping his All-star three-peat going, his struggles through the first half got so bad that Vogt moved him out of the leadoff spot for the first time in more than four years. 

But things have finally started to turn around for the fan favorite, who has hit leadoff in the Guardians’ past two games while being in the midst of his best stretch of the season. 

Steven Kwan is back to looking like his old self 

Sunday and Monday’s games marked just the second time he’s hit leadoff in back-to-back games since he was replaced at the top of the lineup in the middle of May

Although Kwan has had the occasional game back at leadoff since he was replaced there by Travis Bazzana in the middle of May, his start there Monday marked just the second time that he’s hit leadoff in back-to-back games. 

Although Vogt couched his decision to do so around the fact the Twins were starting a right-hander on the mound, it’s likely not a coincidence that Kwan’s return to the leadoff spot is coming at a time when it looks like he’s starting to figure it out at the plate. 

Along with having a .732 OPS in 43 games since his batting average bottomed out at .196 on May 23, Kwan has slashed .405/.500/.548 with four RBI, three steals and eight walks in 15 games in July. 

After spending most of the season hitting lazy fly out after lazy fly out, Kwan’s gotten back to peppering singles all over the infield. 

“(It was an issue with] just bad angles),” Kwan told the Akron Beacon Journal’s Ryan Lewis earlier this month. “Travis actually just talked to me earlier. It’s like when he came up [to the majors in May], I was hitting the ball just as hard, but it was fly balls to left. And now I’m hitting the ball with the same exit velos, they’re just lower now.

As Lewis pointed out, Kwan’s line drive percentage is up to 39.3% since June 22. That’s the kind of Kwan that we’re used to seeing.

Although Kwan went 0-for-3 with a walk in Cleveland’s win on Monday, adding a productive version of him to the top of the lineup helps the Guardians in a variety of ways. First off, it takes some pressure off Bazzana, who has hit just .212 since the start of June. 

But it also helps set the table for the big boppers behind him. It’s not a coincidence that he came around to score the lone time he reached base on Monday. 

Kwan getting on base means that teams will need to pitch to guys like Chase DeLauter and José Ramírez, which is exactly how the Guardians’ offense has success. 

Although it may be hard to believe, Kwan’s been the fourth-most valuable Guardian this year by measure of bWAR (1.8) thanks to his strong on-base percentage and stellar defense (6 Outs Above Average). 

If he’s able to keep things up, that number is going to do nothing but grow, as will the production from the Guardians' offense.

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