The Cleveland Guardians need Steven Kwan to make an impact against the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card series. 

There are a number of players on the Cleveland Guardians who have the potential to reshape a playoff game with one swing of the bat or one lockdown inning out of the bullpen.

However, there’s one player in particular who is Cleveland’s x-factor and could be the difference between the Guardians making a deep run into October or an early exit and ending a historic season.

That player who is critical for the Guardians heading into the playoffs is Steven Kwan.

Of course, Kwan is easily one of, if not the best, defensive outfielders in the game and has built a reputation as one of the best contact hitters in baseball, too.

That said, Cleveland’s leadoff man has had a rocky regular season. 

Kwan was deservedly an All-Star heading into the middle of July, but struggled mightily after the Midsummer Classic. In his 64 games after the All-Star Break, Kwan slashed .254/.310/.345, with just 14 extra base hits (nine doubles and five home runs).

It would be unfair to bring up these numbers without pointing out that Kwan was dealing with wrist soreness throughout the season, which caused him to get an ejection and miss the first series after the All-Star festivities. 

Still, even if it is this lingering injury that is causing Kwan more trouble at the plate, his struggles at the plate have continued.

In the final seven games of the regular season, Kwan only had five hits in 27 at-bats (.185) and carried an on-base percentage of .214, numbers we’re not used to seeing. 

Simply put, the Guardians aren’t going to make much noise in the playoffs if the star lead-off hitter is struggling to make an impact on the game. 

On the bright side, Kwan has been one of Cleveland’s best hitters against the Tigers this year.

In his 56 plate appearances against the division rival, Kwan recorded a .308/.357/.404 slash line. Hopefully, this is the player that the Guardians get in the Wild Card round because it’s no secret that Cleveland’s offense isn’t their biggest threat. 

In fact, their .226 team batting average is the lowest of any postseason team in MLB history. 

The Guardians need Kwan to pick it up at the plate, and if he does, the All-Star will undoubtedly give Cleveland a better chance at taking the series.