Steven Kwan’s Summer Slide: Should the Guardians Be Concerned?
The Cleveland Guardians are on a tear — winners of nine of their last 11, climbing to 61–56 and sitting just a half-game out of a Wild Card spot. Momentum is building in Cleveland, but not everyone in the lineup is riding the wave.
Left fielder Steven Kwan, once one of the Guardians’ most consistent bats and the subject of heavy trade speculation before the deadline, is mired in a prolonged slump that’s raising questions about his long-term role.
A Two-Month Funk
Through his first nine games in August, Kwan is hitting just .195/.214/.434 with a lone RBI. That follows a .700 OPS in July and a .244/.323/.360 slash line in June. For a team whose offense has been hot-and-cold — and often cold — those numbers stand out for the wrong reasons.
Kwan’s season OPS sits at .729, hardly disastrous, but not what the Guardians envisioned from an All-Star-caliber outfielder they might one day pay big money to keep. His glove remains elite, but this is the second straight season his bat has tailed off dramatically in the second half.
From Hot Start to Cooling Off
In 2024, Kwan briefly flirted with a .400 batting average before falling into a steep decline down the stretch. This year, he didn’t approach that historic pace, but his first two months were impressive — .322 in March/April and .308 in May. Since then, the regression has been steady and troubling.
The lack of power is another sticking point. Kwan hit 14 home runs last year but has managed just nine so far in 2025, suggesting the dream of him becoming a 20-homer threat might be unrealistic.
The Big-Picture Question
At 27, Kwan owns a lifetime .749 OPS — solid, but not star-level. His defense makes him valuable, but with his offense trending down in back-to-back seasons, Cleveland’s front office has to weigh whether he’s worth the lucrative long-term contract many expect him to command.
For now, the Guardians’ winning streak is keeping his struggles from becoming a major headline. But if Cleveland’s playoff push falters, all eyes could turn back to Kwan — and whether his bat will ever match his glove.
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