Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan posts rookie season rarity

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan generated plenty of interest in his rookie campaign.

Despite his relatively modest prospect profile, Kwan made history right off the bat. He set the rookie record for the most times reaching base in his first four games, doing so 15 times. Kwan was also just the sixth player since 1901 to have a five hit game in the first three games of his career.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan impressed all season

While the attention faded over the course of the year, Kwan continued to play well. He ended his rookie campaign with a .298/.373/.400 batting line in his 638 plate appearances, hitting six homers and 25 doubles while stealing 19 bases. It was the type of performance any rookie would have been proud of.

His rookie campaign was also a rarity in this day and age. As pointed out by the Foolish Baseball account on Twitter, Kwan had 62 walks and just 60 strikeouts on the season. He became the first rookie since Dustin Pedroia in 2007 to qualify for a batting title and have more walks than strikeouts.

It should not have been much of a surprise that Kwan would command the strike zone to that degree. He had 100 walks with just 87 strikeouts in his 947 minor league plate appearances. Fangraphs had touted his incredible hit tool and ability to make contact when they listed him as the Guardians’ third best prospect heading into the 2022 campaign, a lofty ranking that raised a few eyebrows at the time.

As it turns out, as optimistic as that ranking may have been at the time, it could still be low. Kwan showed that he could be more than a Brett Gardner type for the Guardians, a viable all around player whose throwback style could turn him into an unlikely star. Even if he does turn out to be a Gardner type, he would certainly be a solid player for years to come. Based on his rookie season, that is not outside the realm of probability.

Steven Kwan had the type of rookie campaign that had not been seen in years. The Cleveland Guardians outfielder is only getting started.