Steven Robert Kwan...Played three seasons at Oregon State and was a 2018 All-Pac-12 and Corvallis Regional All-Tourney First Team selection during his junior year as the Beavers won their third College World Series title in Omaha...For the year, he batted .355 (91-for-256)...For his collegiate career, batted .328 (158-for-481) with 96 runs in 156 games...Two-time Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention...2015 graduate of Washington High School in Fremont, Calif...Enjoys playing chess, journaling and basketball in his spare time...Mother played volleyball at San Jose State...Members of the 2018 Oregon State team: Adley Rutschman, Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach, Cadyn Grenier, Drew Rasmussen.
2024
A torrid first half garnered his first AL All-Star selection, becoming the first Cleveland batter to enter the All-Star break leading the Majors in average since Lou Boudreau in 1947 (.347), taking a mark of .352 (99-for-281, 69 games) into the break…Earl Averill is the only other player in club history to lead MLB in batting average (.373, 1938) at the All-Star break besides Kwan and Boudreau...His .352 mark tied for eighth in franchise history (with Bill Knickerbocker) and was the highest by a Clevelander since Roberto Alomar in 2001 (.358)...Got off to a hot start, batting .350 (35-for-100) in April and hitting .353 (47-for-133) over his first 32 games (28 RS) before suffering a left hamstring strain on May 4 vs. the Angels, forcing him on the IL for more than three weeks...At the time was leading the AL in average, hits and multi-hit games (tied for first, 14)...Upon returning from the IL he hit .351 (52-for-148) with 27 runs over his final 37 games of the first half...Entered the break first in MLB in average and fourth in on-base percentage (.407)...His 79 hits over his first 50 ind. games were the most since Dee Strange-Gordon (79 in 2015)...Cooled off in the second half, batting .206 (41-for-199) in 53 games (.316/.302/.618)...Hit the reset button in mid-September, spending 12 days on the IL (9/14-9/25) with mid-back inflammation, reaching in five of his last eight plate appearances, leading into what turned out to be another productive postseason...Hit a combined MLB-best and single-season club-record .381 (16-for-42, 10 RS) in 10 postseason games, reaching in 22 of 48 plate appearances (.458 OBP)...Broke a club record with a 12-game hit streak snapped dating back to the 2022 ALDS (Game 1) in Game 3 of the ALCS vs. NYY, going 22-for-50 (.440, 10 R) over the span...Broke Kenny Lofton's 1995 streak of 10 games...Career postseason average of .347 (25-for-72) is the third-highest mark this century (min. 75 PA) and is the highest mark in club history...His 11 hits in the ALDS were a new club record (tied for third all-time, record is 12)...Owns an active 16-game on-base streak in the postseason and his 25 hits through his first 17 postseason games are a franchise record...Notched his third straight Rawlings Gold Glove, recording 10 DRS, becoming the fifth player in MLB history to win a Gold Glove in each of his first three seasons, joining Johnny Bench (1968-70), Charles Johnson (1995-97), Nolan Arenado (2013-15) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001-03)...Finished fourth among AL left fielders in DRS (10) and second with nine outfield assists…His 24 outs above average lead MLB left fielders and 47 defensive runs saved since 2022 lead all MLB outfielders…The last Cleveland OF to win three straight Rawlings Gold Gloves was Kenny Lofton (1993-1996)...Kwan reached base safely in 25 straight games from April 23-June 20, the longest on-base streak by a Clevelander since Carlos Santana reached safely in 30 straight games from June 4-July 12, 2019…After Kwan returned from the injured list on May 31, he went on a 14-game hit streak, the longest hit streak by a Clevelander this season and the second-longest of his career (18 games, July 14-Aug. 4, 2022)...Batting average reached a high-water mark of .398 (70-for-176) on June 16…Became the third Clevelander to hit .398 or better through the club’s first 69 games of a season (min. 150 PA), joining Tris Speaker (.405, 1921) and Joe Jackson (.414, 1913; .398, 1912)...Kwan was the fifth MLB hitter since 1990 to amass 70 or more hits through their first 43 games of a season and first player to turn the trick since Ichiro Suzuki (73 hits) in 2001...Enjoyed a streak of 74 plate appearances without a strikeout from April 15-May 4, the longest by a Clevelander since Omar Vizquel in 1996 (76 PA) and the second-longest streak by a hitter in 2024 (Luis Arraez: 141 PA, Aug. 10-Sept. 16)...Later posted a streak of 44 plate appearances without a strikeout from June 8-19…Kwan finished this season with a swing and miss rate of 8.2%, the best mark in the AL and second-best mark in MLB, trailing only SD’s Luis Arraez (6.8%)…Since his debut in 2022, Kwan’s 9.6% ranks second in MLB behind Arraez (7.3%)...Recorded seven three-hit games through Cleveland's first 32 games, becoming the eighth player in club history with seven or more three-hit games through the club’s first 32 games and first since Joe Carter (seven games) accomplished the feat in 1988…Kwan led the club with 13 three-hit games this season…His 40 three-hit games since 2022 are tied for fifth in MLB...Launched a career-high 14 home runs, surpassing his career total of 11 in one season…The Guardians went 13-1 in games when Kwan homered...Led MLB with a .318 (54-for-170) batting average when behind in the count, ahead of SD’s Luis Arraez (.302, 85-for-281).
2023
Led the team in runs, games and doubles in his sophomore Big League season, becoming the first player to win SIS Fielding Bible Awards in each of their first two seasons...His combined bWAR of 9.1 is the second-highest mark in club history over a players first two years with Cleveland...Also made it two-for-two in Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, leading MLB LF (16) in Def. Runs Saved, giving him 37 for his two-year career (third-most in MLB since 2022)...Reached base safely in 128 of 154 starts, leading the league in singles (123)...T6th in AL with 20 INF hits...Reached base via hit/ walk in 18 straight games, April 19-May 9 (tied season-high by CLE batter)...Became the second player in club history to collect five RBI in single-game within first two team games on March 31 at Seattle (Larry Doby; 1953)...Hit .339 (43-for-127) vs AL West & .298 (65/218) with runners on...Was fourth in AL with 2843 pitches seen.
2022
Led Major League left fielders in bWAR (5.5) and led all ML rookies in hits (168) and runs (89), compiling a historic rookie year on his way to a Rawlings Gold Glove award and third-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting…Finished second among all Major League rookies with a 5.5 bWAR behind Seattle ROY Julio Rodríguez (6.2)...His 168 hits were the most by a Cleveland rookie batter since Hal Trosky (206) in 1934 and his .298 average was the highest by a qualified Cleveland rookie since Larry Doby in 1948...Overall was the eighth-highest single-season hit total by a rookie in club history (T-10th-highest run total)...43 multi-hit games were second in club history by a rookie (Kenny Lofton 48, 1992)...Kwan was the first qualified CLE rookie to finish with more walks than strikeouts since Kenny Lofton in 1992 (1.26 BB/SO) and the first in MLB since BOS's Dustin Pedroia in 2007 (1.12 BB/SO)...Made 110 starts in LF, six starts at DH and four starts in CF...Was a unanimous winner of an SIS Fielding Bible Award, leading all Major League left fielders in Defensive Runs Saved (21) and zone rating (.929) in addition to AL LF in total chances (233), compiling a .991 (233TC/9E/7 assists) fielding pct…Became just the sixth rookie to win a Rawlings Gold Glove since 1990 and just the second in Cleveland history, joining Sandy Alomar, Jr. in 1990 (last rookie was CWS CF Luis Robert in 2020)...Season got off to a torrid start, hitting .354 (17/48) in 15 April games (10RS, .959 OPS) on his way to AL Rookie of the Month honors…The eight hits through his first three career games (@KC, 4/7-10) were T-second-most ever (MLB 1901) after a five-hit game on April 10...second player since 1933 to record a five-hit game within first three career MLB games, joining CWS Yermín Mercedes(2021)...His .800 (8-for-10) avg was tied w/Mercedes for highest over a player's first three career games since at least 1901(min. 10 PA)…Reached 18 times, 4/7-12 (10-for-15, 7BB, HBP), most through a player's first five career games in MLB history (since 1900)...League adjusted in May (.173, 13/75) but he went on over .295 the remaining months, including .341 in June and .325 in September (21 runs, 28G) to take him Sept. AL Rookie of the Month honors (second in AL in H, T-fifth in Sept. RS)…53 times on base in Sept. were the most in calendar month by a Cleveland rookie since Max Alvis in June 1963 (55)...Second in MLB in 2nd half hits (91)...AL Second Half Leaders: Hits (second, 91), R (fourth, 50), AVG (sixth, .317), OBP (eighth, .384), SB (third, 14)...MLB Rookie Ranks: R (first, 89), AVG (first, .299), Hits (first, 168), BB (thirs, 62), on-base pct (first, .373)...Enjoyed a club season-high & career-high 18-game hit streak, 7/14-8/4 (longest by CLE rookie since 2010)...Didn’t post consecutive hitless games between 7/6 and 8/30, scored 22 runs in his last 24 games and over his last 17 games he hit .382 (29/76, 17R, 8XBH, 13RBI) to end the season…Walked 4x on Sept. 10 at MIN (club-high in ’22)...After taking over leadoff on June 21 he batted .311 (128- for-411) with 19 2B, 67 runs and a .379 OB% in 99 starts (club was 60-39(.606) in starts in 1-hole)…Led AL in July hits (38) as his 109 hits after June 30 were T-first in MLB with Freddie Freeman…First career grand slam & career-high 5RBI in division-clinching win at Texas on Sept. 25...After going hitless in two starts in the ALWC vs. TB, went on to hit .429 (9/21) in five ALDS games vs. the Yankees, bringing his postseason average to .300 (9/30) in seven games…Hit the first Postseason HR of his career in Game 1 of ALDS @ NYY (fourth rookie in franchise history to hit a HR in a postseason game)…His nine hits in ALDS most by a CLE rookie in a postseason series (prev: A Cabrera 2007 ALCS; L Doby 1948 WS in seven each) and most by an MLB rookie in an ALDS since HOU Yuri Gurriel in 2017 (nine; Ichiro’s 12 in 2001 is ALDS record).
2021
Batted a combined .328 (97-for-296) for the year between Akron and Columbus (15 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 44 RBI)...Named an MILB.com Organizational All-Star...Fanned only 31 times in 341 plate appearances...His 65 runs scored were eighth-most in the Cleveland Minor League system despite missing seven weeks with a right hamstring strain (May 7-June 24)...Began the year in Akron, kicked it in gear on July 23, batting .377 (46-for-122) over his final 32 Double-A games (8 2B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 30 runs, .458 OBP) before being promoted to AAA Columbus on August 30... Proceeded to bat .538 (14-for-26) over his first seven games with the Clippers (9 RS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI)...Reached base safely in 20 straight games (8/14-9/7) and hit in 12 straight (8/25-9/7) between the two levels...Hit safely in 21 of 26 Triple-A games and reached base safely in 23 of those contests, good enough for a .398 on-base pct. and .903 OPS at AAA... Among AAA hitters from Sept. 1-on, he finished tied for third in runs (23), tied for fifth in hits (32) and tied for eighth in total bases (52)...Enters 2022 the best defensive OF (Baseball America)... On the year, he batted .337 (76-for-225) with 12 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 36 RBI and .295 (21- for-71) with 7 XBH...Batted .316 (36-for-114) with runners on and .373 (25-for-67) with RISP...On the year, he appeared in 45 games in CF, 15 games in LF and 11 games in RF.
