When Steven Kwan entered the season with the Cleveland Guardians, many fans were perplexed by the usually reliable leadoff man's start to the season. He was hitting .196 as the calendar of games on May 23, 2026 came to a close. A stat line that was far from the norm, and while he was far from the only issue on the team, Kwan was one of the more shocking. A normally reliable hitter with a career batting average of .282, Kwan's struggles were the most shocking of the season. 

Due to his poor hitting, there was a lot of online discourse and chatter about how the Guardians missed their opportunity to trade away the multi-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner for a significant return. Others pointed out how it could've been a slump, and if so, the Guardians could likely get him back on a deal, as his awful start likely hurt his asking price on the open free-agent market. 

Almost as if he had something to prove, Kwan started to rake the ball as well as anyone. From May 24 to the end of his regular season on Sept. 26, Kwan hit a stellar .325. He brought his batting average for the year up by 86 points, a remarkable achievement considering how poor he started the year. 

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A start so poor, he got knocked down the batting order for some time until he crawled his way out of his slump. 

Now, with the Chicago White Sox on the horizon for the ALDS, Kwan's marked improvement could not have come at a better time. The Guardians are one of the worst offenses in the Majors this season, and lack any real authority at the plate when it comes to their power-hitting prowess. A player like Kwan, who can press the action by getting on base, will be so much more important for a club like Cleveland. 

While Kwan isn't going to put one in the stands very often, he's the kind of hitter that works a pitcher far more than the average batter. He's an exercise in endurance, and he usually finds a way to get on a few times a game. That's the kind of guy that can do a lot of damage unknowingly to a pitching staff. Guys will throw far more pitches than they had hoped to against a guy like Kwan, which is why most of the time, Jose Ramirez is sitting right behind him in the lineup.

Ramirez is able to get far better pitches after Kwan's at-bats, and the hope is that a healthy Ramirez will be back to old form for the playoffs. Making this one-two combo all the more important. 

Kwan's impact will be necessary going forward and while there isn't as much love for the four-time Gold Glove winner's resurgence from the major sports world, that doesn't mean it isn't being noticed. Kwan will be a huge factor in the Guardians series against the White Sox, one way or another.

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