Time to Talk About This Struggling Cleveland Guardians Star

Kwan owns a .729 OPS on the season. While that isn't terrible, it isn't great, either, especially for a player that Guardians fans want the team to extend on a lucrative long-term contract. Yes, his outfield defense remains spectacular, but this is the second straight year has bat has cooled off tremendously during the second half of the campaign.

Remember: in 2024, Kwan actually flirted with .400 for a while before absolutely falling off a cliff over the last couple of months. He never contended for .400 at any point this season, but he did hit .322 between March and April while also batting at a .308 clip in May. But once again, he has regressed.

This is definitely concerning for Cleveland, both in terms of its chances of making the postseason this year and for its future as a whole. Why? Because you will absolutely have to start wondering if it's worth paying Kwan major money over the long haul if this is what will keep happening to his bat.

The 27-year-old owns a lifetime .749 OPS. He has been a solid hitter; not a great one, and for the cash he will likely be owed, you really must ponder whether or not the Guardians will feel that he is worthy of a massive contract (which is what many assume he will receive, whether that's from Cleveland or another team).

Kwan's power hasn't progressed, either. He hit 14 home runs in 2024. This year, he has slugged only nine, so the idea of him becoming a 20-homer guy may be beyond reach.

This isn't to say that Kwan isn't a valuable player. He is based on his defense alone, but perhaps his offense simply isn't as good as we thought it was.

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