Steven Kwan And The Road To .400 - Asian Baseballers

Breaking

Support Us

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Steven Kwan And The Road To .400

 

Steven Kwan is becoming the best hitter in baseball.

 


Steven Kwan is the best hitter in the world, as he chases a mind-boggling feat, becoming the first Cleveland Guardian to hit .400 in its long history since 1913. The last time he failed to record a base hit, well, I cannot even remember. Like 6-8 weeks ago? Perhaps 7 weeks ago. Some will say he has not proven himself yet after being on the IL for four weeks. That is just an afterthought. All he has done since he came back is get hit after hit.

 

Possessing incredible defensive skills, along with the highest WAR on the team at 2.7, he has been the difference-maker when he is on the field at bat and at the plate. He is doing things that have not been done by a Cleveland player since 1913. The last player in MLB to hit equivalent to his numbers with a minimum of 150 plate appearances through 69 games was Joe Mauer in 2009, who hit .421 in 2009.

 

Since May 31st, Kwan has been one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball in the world, averaging .535 and a .600 on-base percentage. These are all-star numbers, regardless of missing a portion of the season through no fault of his own due to a hamstring injury.

 

Despite missing some time off, it is still possible for Kwan to qualify for the batting title, assuming he can maintain his current pace of 4.53 plate appearances per game. He would need to do this for at least 36 games to catch up to the amount of time he lost due to injury.

 

Kwan has proven that you do not have to have Herculean strength to do well and be over 6 feet tall to be great. Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, Steven looks like your average Joe. With this and only weighing 170 pounds, Kwan has always been the underdog, even going back to his college playing days batting .331 in his sophomore year. He was drafted 163rd overall in the 2018 MLB draft. That means he was bypassed 162 times. He should have been picked at number one. And, the way he is improving, he is an MVP in the making.

 

After a disappointing freshman year at Oregon State University, the Chinese-Japanese American sought mentorship from Tyler Graham, an MLB alumni, and turned his career back on track. Graham eventually would call him a "cage rat," alluding to his persistent practice sessions in the batting cage. He achieved his batting prowess through hard work and an undeniable Iron Man-like work ethic. He improved his game because he loved the game that much. Wouldn't it be something to see this young man perform on the biggest stage, the World Series?

 

In last night's game, he did it again, inking 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 BB, and a home run, beating Bryan Woo and the Mariners 8-0, as he continues to flirt with a .400 BA at .397. Today, the Cleveland Guardians will try to win the 3-game series. Logan Allen of the Guardians takes on Luis Castillo of the Mariners.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Youtube Channel Image
Go to Analyzing Boxing Subscribe Now!
Subscribe