Cleveland Baseball Insider

Cleveland Guardians Star Leads MLB In An Incredible Stat

Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan leads MLB in an incredible plate discipline stat.
May 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) tosses his bat as he is walked during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
May 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) tosses his bat as he is walked during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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Steven Kwan has been one of MLB's best hitters since making his debut at the start of the 2022 season.

The Cleveland Guardians' All-Star outfielder has made a name for himself for his plate discipline and ability to hit for contact. He is now adding a little bit of power to his game as well.

Kwan's eye and plate discipline have been on display early in this MLB season, as can be seen in one incredible stat he leads all of baseball in.

According to the Guardians Comms. Department, Kwan has swung and missed just nine pitches in the strike zone this season, the lowest by any player in MLB.

Kwan's whiff rate of 8.3 percent is in the 100th percentile, and his strikeout rate of 8.5 percent is in the 98th percentile. Cleveland's lead-off hitter simply refuses to go down by strikes.

Steven Kwan hits a single
May 11, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a single during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Again, this plate discipline is something Kwan has always been known for.

Since 2022, Kwan's swing-and-miss rate of 9.4 percent is the best in the American League and second-best in MLB, only trailing San Diego Padres' Star Luis Arraez.

Kwan may not have been a highly-ranked prospect in Cleveland's farm system, but he's emerged as one, if not the best, lead-off hitter in baseball during the first three and a half seasons of his career.

It's no secret just how good of a hitter Kwan has developed into, and hopefully, he's a player the Guardians can extend and make a piece of the roster for a long time.

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