5 Cleveland Guardians that must improve with Steven Kwan out of the lineup

Tyler Freeman

The second Cleveland Guardians lineup regular to make an appearance on this list, Tyler Freeman needs to find some level of consistency at the plate.

Slashing .194/.288/.330 with five doubles and three home runs in 119 plate appearances, the Guardians opted to convert Freeman to the outfield after it was clear he would not be able to find playing time as an infielder. This resulted in moving on from Myles Straw as the team's everyday center fielder, with Freeman getting the bulk of the reps.

Even though Freeman's performance as a hitter has not resulted in a ton of positive results, it was a little more tolerable when Steven Kwan and his 161 OPS+ were still in the lineup. But without Kwan, Freeman's 80 OPS+ becomes much more of an issue that is impossible to ignore. 

There have been stretches where Freeman has looked to be an average bat, and if he can find a way to do that more regularly, it will help raise the production floor for the Guardians and hopefully result in a more consistent offense. The Guardians already have enough players who are inconsistent at the plate that they are trying to find a way to work into the mix. If Freeman can increase his batting average while maintaining his improved ability to hit for extra bases, it would go a long way. Not only now Cleveland is without one of their best hitters in Kwan, but upon his return to the lineup as well.