The Cleveland Guardians' decision to move Steven Kwan down in the lineup is shaping up to be a smart one.
The Cleveland Guardians made an overdue move a week and a half ago when they took Steven Kwan out of the lead-off spot amid a disastrous start to the season at the plate.
At the time, the objective of the move was clear: to take some pressure off the former All-Star by pushing him further down the lineup.
Kwan has hit leadoff for nearly four years, so there was bound to be an adjustment.
However, the change, so far, has been a good thing for both Kwan and the Guardians, as he’s finally starting to get back to being the elite hitter he’s been for the majority of his career.
Since the lineup change on May 16, Kwan has spent time hitting in the sixth, seventh, and eighth spots in the order. The stats speak for themselves; these lower-leverage spots in the lineup have been objectively better for him.
Kwan owns a .250/.441/.292 slash line over the nine days, coming out to a 128 wRC+.
One of the key signs that Kwan is getting back to being himself at the plate is that his eye and discipline have improved over this stretch. The left-handed hitter has a walk rate of 25.4 percent and a strikeout rate of 11.4 percent since moving down in the lineup.
May 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) reacts after grounding out against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesManager Stephen Vogt has noticed these subtle changes, too.
“I thought, again, he started to see Kwan over the last week, 10 days, really start to look like himself,” said Vogt after Kwan’s three-hit game against the Phillies.
“Good hitters find hits, and that's what Kwan did. He's still working really good counts, getting on base, playing excellent defense. So, really happy with Kwan’s trip. I thought he had a really good trip.”
Cleveland’s skipper initially said when the change was made that he didn’t envision the move being a long-term one, and the Guardians would see Kwan back in the lead-off spot at some point this season. However, even with Kwan’s recent uptick in stats, seeing him back up at the top of the lineup in the near future doesn’t feel in the cards.
First, if Kwan is finally starting to have success after a disastrous start to the season, why move him out of the role? Plus, with Travis Bazzana recently moving into Cleveland’s lead-off spot, he is looking more than comfortable there.
Where Kwan is hitting in Cleveland’s lineup will certainly be something to monitor for the rest of the season. As for now, having him hit in the back half of the order is clearly the best spot for Kwan and the team.
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