Cleveland Guardians rookie Steven Kwan is doing something that we have not seen the likes of in many years. Statistically speaking, the Guardians outfielder is off to one of the greatest starts in baseball history.
Steven Kwan has played in four games in this short season. He became the first player to reach base 15 times in the first four games. At one point in Monday's game, Kwan had reached base nine consecutive times for Cleveland. Bob Nightengale adequately describes how impressive Steven Kwan has been. Let's let his tweet do the talking.
"Cleveland #Guardians rookie outfielder Steven Kwan is not only hitting .692 with a 1.789 OPS, but he hasn’t struck out in a professional game since Sept. 26, including spring training. He has yet to swing and miss on a single pitch this year." - @ Bob Nightengale
Steven Kwan may be the hardest out in baseball right now. He has a .692 average and a .789 on-base-average. He is not a power hitter and is yet to hit a home run, but he knows how to get on base, and in the age of sabermetrics, on-base percentage is one of the most important statistics.
Cleveland Guardians Steven Kwan's Background
Steven Kwan grew up in Fremont, California, and attended Washington High School. He played on their baseball team and hit .462 as a senior. He was not drafted out of high school and chose to play college baseball at Oregon State University.
Kwan did not have a great start at Oregon State. He hit .215 in 35 games as a freshman. He responded in his sophomore year by hitting .331 with one home run, 18 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 55 games.
"Steven Kwan is so committed to getting on base that he literally takes a base with him everywhere he goes. Did the flight attendant give him a funny look? Sure, but did she hit a bases-clearing 3-run triple in her fourth MLB game after a record-setting weekend? No, she did not." - @ Cleveland Guardians
Kwan was drafted to the Cleveland Guardians in the 2018 draft after his junior season. He rose to Major League Baseball pretty quickly and was named to the Guardians Opening Day roster this season.
I do not know what the rest of the season holds for Kwan, but I cannot wait to see.