Guardians Multi-Time Award Winner Finding New Success in Different Role

The Cleveland Guardians coaching staff decided to move around the batting lineup, with the recent changes seemingly paying off so far.

May 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Steven Kwan (38) watches his RBI single during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It took the Cleveland Guardians a bit of time, but after moving Steven Kwan out of the leadoff spot, he looks back to normal.

To begin the 2026 MLB regular season, four-time Golden Glove award winner Kwan struggled to get the bat going. Not only that, but his eye was off. He was swinging at bad pitches, striking out a good bit and wasn't getting on base enough.

And while the coaching staff tried to stay patient, they couldn't just sit idly by and let the 28-year-old continue to rot.

On Saturday, May 16, manager Stephen Vogt announced that Kwan would be moved out of the leadoff spot as the team looked to go in a different direction. For some players, that kind of change could shake their confidence, but for Kwan, it seems to have reignited it.

"We are starting to see Kwany over the last week, ten days, really start to look like himself, and, you know, good hitters find hits, and that's what Kwany did," Vogt said when reflecting on the recent success Kwan has found. "He's still working really good counts, getting on base, playing excellent defense, so really happy with Kwany's trip."

#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to reporters in Philly about how Steven Kwan has played the past few outings:

"We are starting to see Kwany over the last week, ten days, really start to look like himself, and, you know, good hitters find hits, and that's what Kwany did. He's…

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) May 24, 2026

Bouncing between the sixth, seventh and eighth spots in the lineup, Kwan has begun to find more success at the plate.

Across 35 plate appearances, the pressure seems to have lifted off his shoulders as he's now back to a respectable .250/.441/.292 slashing line with nine walks to just four strikeouts. He also has six hits, one of which was a double, helping provide the team with two RBI.

This change may have helped calm down Kwan, who seemed a bit jumpy and erratic at the plate throughout the season's early weeks.

Just a few series back, Kwan had said that he was going into at-bats feeling like he was already down in the count, 0-2. Those types of mental hurdles to jump over are tough, especially for a player who had been on top of his game the past few campaigns.

However, going through it this early in the season may have been a blessing in disguise for Kwan.

Now, he can learn from what he has gone through and seen, allowing him to be an even better player and right the wrongs before games start to matter more.

May 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) dives back safely into first base on a pick off attempt by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

On the campaign, Kwan's total slashing line sits at .208/.329/.262 for an OPS of .591. There's plenty of work to be done to return to the form he has flashed in seasons past, but he is starting to trend back in the right direction.

As the season continues to pass along, the Guardians will likely explore where Kwan fits best in the lineup. For now, though, it seems that a deeper lineup spot may be for the better at this point in the season.