The Cleveland Guardians are hoping Steven Kwan brings veteran experience as he returns to their leadoff spot.
No one is going to deny it: the 2026 season has not been one that Steven Kwan or the Cleveland Guardians were expecting or hoped he’d have.
After starting the season in his natural spot as Cleveland’s leadoff hitter, the Guardians even moved Kwan back in the lineup to take some pressure off him.
However, as Cleveland searches for more offense and consistency amid several injuries, the Guardians moved Kwan back into the lead-off spot on Saturday and Sunday.
Manager Stephen Vogt explained the decision was based on “For us, it was, well, Kwan has been swinging the bat better. He's been getting on base. Let's get him back where he's comfortable, and let's see if that helps this group kind of get off and go.”
Saying that Kwan has been swinging the bat better is relative to where he’s been all year long. The left-hander owns a 77 wRC+ over the last week, but still has a 70 wRC+ on the season.
But as Vogt also emphasized, this adjustment isn’t about putting more pressure on Kwan to perform, but putting him in a position he’s comfortable in, especially with so many young players in the lineup. Cleveland’s lineup features four rookies: Travis Bazzana, Chase DeLauter, Kahlil Watson, and Cooper Ingle.
Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) rounds third base during the home opening game, April 4, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Andrew Dolph / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images“It's not about Kwan stepping up more than he needs to. It's just about he's got the experience of leading off,” continued Cleveland’s skipper.
“We don't want to be stubborn to anything right now, and I think, getting quality at-bat to that lead-off spot could be very beneficial.”
On top of all of that, the Guardians still believe there’s still a version of Kwan he was in the last two seasons when he was named an All-Star.
“We're not turning the page on him. We’re not giving up. I mean, this guy's track record is so long, and we're going to keep working with him. We're going to keep believing in him. This is a really good baseball player. He's just having a slow start to this year, and we truly believe it's going to turn around.”
As long as the Guardians are dealing with the injuries, having a veteran like Kwan in the leadoff spot isn’t a game plan in theory. He still is more than capable of working an at-bat, taking a walk, and getting an opposing pitcher’s pitch count up.
Once Cleveland is healthy again, it’ll be interesting to see if Kwan stays in the leadoff spot or if the Guardians make another change.
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