Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Steven Kwan Cemented His Status In The ALDS

Originally posted on The Cold Wire | By Curt Bishop | Last updated 10/19/22

The Cleveland Guardians may have bowed out in the ALDS after their Game 5 loss to the New York Yankees, but one player in particular made his mark on the postseason.

Outfielder and Rookie of the Year candidate Steven Kwan burst onto the scene early in 2022 and showed that he can hit at the Major League level.

The ALDS was no exception.

Kwan is a hits machine and continued his run of greatness at the plate in the postseason, racking up nine hits including a solo home run in Game 1 of the series.

He also became the first rookie in Guardians franchise history to record eight or more hits in a single postseason series.

Steven Kwan can flat-out hit @CleGuardians | @skwanzaa | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/PtjV0SbfZU

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 18, 2022

Kwan Makes History

Kwan certainly put together a solid case to be named the American League Rookie of the Year when the World Series is over.

His ALDS performance was no exception either.

During the regular season, the 25-year-old rookie hit .298 with six home runs and 52 RBI, while posting a .773 OPS in 563 at-bats.

He gave the Guardians exactly what they needed out of the leadoff spot and turned himself into a table setter and catalyst for the ballclub.

He hit for an even .300 batting average in two postseason rounds, collecting nine hits in total, a solo home run, and two RBI.

Kwan had himself an unforgettable first year and is very likely to garner some consideration for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

He’ll be up against players such as Adley Rutschman and Julio Rodriguez, but at the very least, Kwan deserves some consideration for having such an impressive season, which includes his breakout ALDS performance.

We’ll see if baseball writers agree when it comes time to decide who wins which award.

This article first appeared on The Cold Wire and was syndicated with permission.

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