Cleveland Guardians: Who has the better MVP Case: Jose Ramirez or Steven Kwan?

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The Cleveland Guardians have taken Major League Baseball by storm this season, currently standing as one of just three American League teams with 50+ wins and one of just five in all of the MLB. While Cleveland has previously been known for their dominance in starting pitching over the last handful of seasons, it's been the other facets of the game that have carried Cleveland to these new heights.

The bullpen is the best in baseball, and not by a small margin, but perhaps the most shocking part of Cleveland's game this year is their prowess at the plate. Stars have come and gone from Cleveland, but it's been a long time since the whole lineup has contributed the way we've seen this year. From the emergence of David Fry to the arrival of a plethora of rookies at one point or another (Kyle Manzardo, Angel Martinez, Jose Tena, Daniel Schneemann, Jhonkensy Noel, Johnathan Rodriguez, and more), this Cleveland team is raising eyebrows.

Perhaps the biggest points of emphasis for Cleveland has been the duo of Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez. Ramirez is no stranger to the spotlight and has been in this conversation before, but Kwan is a new addition. He's made steady strides and has proven to be one of the most difficult outs in baseball. As we approach the All-Star break and surpass the halfway point of the season, both players have worked themselves into the American League MVP watch list.

Of the two, Ramirez is the more well-known and flashy candidate, but both have done a solid job so far this season of building a resume for consideration. It will be a tougher climb for Kwan, given his lack of power in comparison to other players, but when you consider what he's doing this season, it's hard to ignore his candidacy for the prestigious award.

Cleveland has had just two MVPs in franchise history, with Al Rosen in 1953 and Lou Boudreau in 1948. But what do Ramirez and Kwan have going for them to break the drought as the conversations ramp up?

A case for Steven Kwan

Cleveland Guardians v Baltimore Orioles / G Fiume/GettyImages

We'll start with the case for Steven Kwan, beginning with the obvious. His batting average is something of old-time legends at this point. Kwan is currently batting .370 on the season, which will lead baseball once he reaches the mark to be a "qualified player" on MLB's stat lists. As of right now, that spot is occupied by Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers with a .322 mark, 48 points behind Kwan. The last player to finish a season with an average of .370 or better was 20 years ago when Ichiro Suzuki hit .372 in 2004. Suzuki finished seventh in MVP voting that season, but Kwan's resume might be more impressive.

Something that has gone rather unnoticed this season is Kwan's OPS, which currently sits at .973. Only six batters have a higher mark in the MLB currently: Aaron Judge, Ohtani, Juan Soto, Gunnar Henderson, Bryce Harper and Kyle Tucker. Those six all have something in common. They all have at least 19 home runs this season. Kwan has seven, yet he's still hanging around.

Even Kwan's slugging percentage (.543) is top 10 in baseball, sitting just one spot behind fellow Guardian Jose Ramirez, and again that's with just seven home runs. The seven blasts for Kwan are already a career-high in a single season, but his on-base percentage (.430) is just as impressive, ranking third in the MLB. When talking about Ichiro's 2004 season as a comparison for Kwan's batting average, Suzuki's slugging percentage was only .455 that year.

We can't forget the time that Kwan missed. He's only played 54 games, while most players in these conversations are closer to the 80 mark now. Despite that, he's still putting together one of the best seasons we've maybe ever witnessed from a Cleveland hitter. Sure, the power isn't what we're used to from MVP candidates, but considering his entire slash line is among the best in baseball, it's hard to ignore him.

The case for Jose Ramirez

This isn't the first time we've talked about Jose Ramirez in the MVP conversation, and hopefully, it won't be the last. He finished second in 2020, third in both 2017 and 2018, and fourth in 2022. While Ramirez has had more statistically impressive seasons in the past, it feels like momentum may be on his side a bit more this year.

The biggest talking point for Ramirez has been his power. He's already blasted 22 home runs this year, ranking fourth in the MLB. For reference, Ramirez hit only 24 last year and hasn't hit the 30-home run mark since 2021. He's currently on pace to hit more than 40. As for RBI, he's logged 73 for Cleveland this season, ranking second in the MLB behind only Aaron Judge's 79. The pace for that stat? 147 RBI. He's never had more than 126 in a season.

Now, these stats might just be painting the picture that Jose will cool off soon. Surely at 31 years old, he isn't going to post his best season ever? Right? Well... history has other thoughts.

Traditionally, Ramirez has been better in the second half of the season. Throughout his career, his batting average usually jumps about seven points in the second half. In fact, July has historically been his best-performing month. The most intriguing part is the bulk of his home runs typically come in the later half of the season. For his career, he's hit 40 home runs in July, 42 in August, and 41 in September/October. June has carried just 34 home runs for him over his career. This year in June, he's hit six after 11 in May. Entering this season he had just 31 May home runs and he hit 11 this year alone.

More will be needed to bolster Ramirez's MVP case. His slugging percentage is ninth in the MLB, but he's drawing attention with his power and RBI stats. There's a chance, albeit maybe slim, that Ramirez and Kwan could combine for a Cleveland triple crown. Ramirez is within shot of both home runs and RBI while Kwan is in the process of locking up average. Then it just becomes deciding between the two for MVP.

A case for Steven Kwan

The case for Jose Ramirez

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