Steven Kwan was not the type of prospect that would generate much attention. There was no question that the Cleveland Guardians outfielder possesses elite contact skills and a strong approach at the plate; however, he has minimal power, which detracted from his overall outlook. In fact, MLB.com rated Kwan as the Guardians’ 15th best prospect heading into the 2022 season, noting the uncertainty as to whether or not he would be a starting caliber player or a fourth outfielder.
Even if the jury is still out in regards to his future, Kwan has already had a historic start to his career. His performance on Monday, when he was 1-3 with a triple and two walks while scoring two runs, meant that he reached base safely 15 times in his first four games. That broke the record of 13 times reaching safely which had previously been held by Jay Bruce and Kazuo Matsui.
Steven Kwan off to impressive start for Cleveland Guardians
That is not the only record Kwan has set. On Sunday, he became just the sixth player since 1901 to have a five hit game within the first three games of his career. Now, after four games, Kwan has nine hits, five walks, and has been hit by a pitch in his 19 plate appearances. He has been so committed to getting on base that he even carried a base with him on the flight out of Kansas City.
If Kwan is swinging at a pitch, he is not missing. To this point, he has swung the bat 26 times and has made contact with every one of those swings. Only two other players – Eloy Jimenez and Ryan Jeffers – have yet to miss when swinging at a pitch amongst those who qualify for the batting title.
It is obviously very early in Kwan’s career, let alone the 2022 season. Nonetheless, his ability to put the bat on the ball and work a count has already impressed at the major league level. Although he will not continue to get on base at this rate, if his unique skillset can continue to produce results, any questions about his future role will have been answered.
Steven Kwan has already made history with the Cleveland Guardians. Based on his track record, his hype train may only be starting.