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Guardians All-Star Steven Kwan continues to be 'one of the best hitters in the league'
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- Guardians All-Star Steven Kwan continues to be 'one of the best hitters in the league'
CLEVELAND — Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan showed his versatility as a hitter once again Thursday, April 10, at Progressive Field.
Kwan hit a long ball and played small ball to lead the Guardians to a 6-1 win and a three-game sweep over a lousy Chicago White Sox squad .
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Kwan smacked a two-run home run in the third inning and laid down an RBI bunt single in the sixth as the Guardians (6-6) sent the White Sox (2-10) trending toward a third consecutive season of more than 100 losses.
Kwan's exploits helped provide a spark for the Guardians offense , which has sputtered at times early in the 2025 season.
"Kwanny is special," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "We talk about it, it seems like every day, what he means to this lineup, to this team, the consistency that he brings and his ability to beat you in many different ways. He is a complete hitter. It was a fun day for Kwanny.
"... Getting to watch him every day is great. He is a menace. You know that when you game plan against him. He has a number of ways to beat you. I am just glad I get to watch him."
Kwan finished 4-for-5 to raise his batting average to .356 this season with 16 hits in 45 at-bats with two home runs, seven RBIs and 11 runs scored. He is the first Guardians player to record four hits and four RBIs in a game since Josh Naylor on May 31, 2023, at Baltimore .
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"Nothing new with him," Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams said of Kwan. "He's one of the best hitters, doesn't strike out a lot and he has got good hand-eye coordination. So just having him at the top of the lineup, him and Hosey [ José Ramírez ], it's amazing."
Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan and first baseman Kyle Manzardo celebrate after a win over the Chicago White Sox on April 10, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Williams (1-0) benefitted from Kwan's season-high four hits and four RBIs, and also was efficient on the mound with seven strikeouts. He limited the White Sox to a run (after two wild pitches), three hits and two walks over five innings.
Kwan led off the bottom of the first with his first single off Jonathan Cannon and then scored when Kyle Manzardo hit a home run over the right field fence.
Guardians' Kyle Manzardo and Steven Kwan (38) celebrate scoring on a two-run home run by Manzardo against the White Sox on April 10, 2025, in Cleveland.
"[Cannon] got me with two strikeouts last year, too, so definitely had to have a different kind of plan against him," Kwan said.
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"... I think coming fresh out the gate, riding that adrenaline, everything's really new, is a good start, but got to make sure to stay on top of recovery and can be as fresh as I can every day."
Kwan, an All-Star in 2024 and three-time Gold Glover, cleared the right field fence in the third with a two-run homer that also scored Brayan Rocchio .
Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan (38) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox on April 10, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
"He is one of the best hitters in the league," Guardians relief pitcher Jakob Junis said of Kwan. "I know from experience facing him, he's a tough out. He can hit everything, and I love having him on my team at the top of the lineup."
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Kwan singled into the outfield in the fourth to score Jhonkensy Noel and laid down a bunt single in the sixth against reliever Bryse Wilson that scored Bo Naylor .
Cleveland Guardians Brayan Rocchio (4) and Steven Kwan celebrate the team's win over the Chicago White Sox on April 10, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
"Vogter was asking if I've ever seen the guy," Kwan said. "I told him, 'No,' so he was like, 'If you want to bunt, go for it.' It was great. Great idea. It ended up working out really well."
Junis and Joey Cantillo each pitched two shutout innings as the White Sox struggled to deal with Kwan.
"They don't make many like Steven Kwan anymore," Manzardo said. "He is an awesome dude to hit behind because he is always going to be on base or in scoring position. Having a guy like that at the top of the order is so crucial to our offense."
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Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Steven Kwan does it all to lead Guardians to sweep of White Sox
