Message from Steven Kwan amid Guardians’ torrid 2024 season

The Cleveland Guardians are having an excellent 2024 season so far behind the play of standout outfielder Steven Kwan.

The team is currently atop the American League Central with a 48-26 record following their 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. After the match, Kwan explained why the Guardians are playing with confidence, according to Bally Sports Cleveland:

Said Kwan, who went 2-4 with a home run to push his average to .390, “We think all of our guys are going to come out and play.”

Kwan has been virtually unstoppable this season, but in the Guardians’ win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, something happened that proved Kwan is actually human: He was struck out.

Kwan fought against Mariners starter Luis Castillo in the third inning, ending a streak of 44 consecutive appearances without a punchout in the MLB, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. He went 1-for-3 with a double and a few runs scored on the afternoon.

During the season, Kwan played like a typical baseball player from the dead ball era more than 100 years ago. The Guardians outfielder struck out just 15 while drawing 19 walks.

The Oregon State product was originally selected by the Guardians in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He made his big league debut in 2022, hitting an impressive .298/.373/.400 with six home runs and 52 RBIs.

This season, Kwan is on track for his first career All-Star appearance.

Steven Kwan leads Guardians to top of AL Central

The Guardians have exceeded expectations so far during the 2024 season. The team didn’t necessarily have many believers after failing to make notable moves in free agency and missing the playoffs in 2023. Additionally, losing ace Shane Bieber early in Season 24 to Tommy John surgery didn’t help those expectations from the outside. the organization.

But Kwan and Jose Ramirez excelled as Cleveland extended a 7.5-game lead in the American League Central Division.

Ramirez has been a major point generator for the Guardians. During the season, the third baseman hit .271 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs. Cleveland recently reactivated Ramirez from the paternity list and optioned second overall prospect Kyle Manzardo to Triple-A.

Manzardo, a 23-year-old first baseman, is behind outfielder Chase DeLauter in the Guardians’ prospect rankings, according to MLB.com. The left-handed slugger was acquired as part of the Aaron Civale trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023. Cleveland has needed offensive weapons in recent years and Manzardo should be a reliable Major League hitter.

His pure hit tool and power both ranked highly among prospects. He is still developing other areas of his game, but the hitting ability is there. However, Manzardo struggled to get his first taste of MLB action.

The Guardians will next face the Blue Jays in a matinee game on Sunday.