Cleveland Guardians right fielder Steven Kwan finally struck out. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Guardians rookie OF Steven Kwan's contact streak ends

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 4/13/22

Aside from the recent contract extension for star infielder Jose Ramirez, one of the early-season storylines in the first season of the Cleveland Guardians has been rookie outfielder Steven Kwan. The 24-year-old lefty has gotten off to a historic start at the dish, but his mind-boggling streak of avoiding a swing and miss at the plate came to an end Wednesday afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds.

The streak ends at 116 pitches. https://t.co/opCzObvzp4
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) April 13, 2022

116 pitches before Steven Kwan's first swing and miss (a foul tip is a whiff!)

WHAT A RIDE pic.twitter.com/AWgMFlSIIw
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 13, 2022

Later in Kwan's first-inning at-bat, he did something that he hadn't done in over six months.

Nick Lodolo's first MLB strikeout comes against the guy who hadn't struck out since Sept. 26! pic.twitter.com/eYIrjRRcXB
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 13, 2022

Entering action on Wednesday, the native of Los Gatos, Calif. was 10-for-15 with four RBI and a league-leading seven walks. (He earned his eighth walk in his second at-bat Wednesday.) Kwan made the Guardians' Opening Day roster after posting huge nubers in spring training, going 15-for-32 with seven runs scored.

Kwan was selected by Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Oregon State University. Including Wednesday's contest, he's now started in each of the Guardians' first six games in 2022.

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