Friday, March 28

Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Steven Kwan’s increased power output last season was one of the more surprising developments within the Guardians’ offense. It also was no accident, which makes it a potential blueprint for the All-Star left fielder to replicate in 2025.
 
"There's no reason that Kwany can't put together a full season of what he did last year, [after] missing a little bit of time,” manager Stephen Vogt said.
 
Kwan’s bread and butter is his command of the strike zone and his ability to get on base; he’s one of the Majors’ best leadoff hitters. But with a slight adjustment to his approach last year -- with the goal of hitting for more pop -- his power numbers went up.

"My profile before was so contact based that I really kind of forgot how to get a full swing off,” Kwan said. “So 0-0 counts to 2-0 counts, I was getting a contact swing off instead of a power swing, in 'MLB The Show' terms. 

"That's just not productive. You have the advantage [over the pitcher], and you make contact, great. But that at-bat’s over. … So I learned how to get a better swing off in leverage counts.”
 
Kwan’s batted-ball metrics from 2023 to ’24 reflect his willingness to take a bigger hack in hitters’ counts. 

-- His percentage of batted balls pulled in the air (in 0-0, 1-0 and 2-0 counts) in 2023 was 8.6 percent, and he hit one homer. In ‘24, it was 17.4 percent, and he hit four homers.
 
-- Of Kwan’s batted balls last season, 16.7 percent were pulled in the air, up from 9.3 percent in 2023. 

What it all means is this: Kwan swung in hitters’ counts last season with an increased intent to drive the ball in the air, and he did so successfully more often than in 2023.
 
Kwan hit 14 homers in 122 games last year, surpassing his career total (11) from his first two seasons in the Majors. Had it not been for two stints on the injured list (left hamstring strain in May, mid-back inflammation in September), it’s possible he could have reached the 20-homer mark.

"The league runs through slug, really,” Kwan said. “You have your singles, but home runs and slug, doubles, change the game. Just seeing if there was any room for improvement there. If there wasn't, that's fine. I knew I could rely on the contact profile. 
 
“But the guys were always talking like, ‘You know, you can sacrifice some contact and you’ll still be an elite contact hitter. Go out and swing a little harder, maybe swing and miss and see what happens.’”
 
Kwan noted there’s going to be some trade-off -- swinging for power can lead to more swing-and-miss. But he actually remained one of the best hitters in the Majors at commanding the zone while slugging more -- even after a tough second half (.618 OPS in 53 games).
 
Squared-up rate: 38.8 percent (100th percentile)
Chase percentage: 19.2 percent (96th)
Whiff rate: 8.2 percent (100th)
Strikeout rate: 9.4 percent (99th)
 
“The contact rate, his contact skills, his zone awareness, swing decisions, that’s him,” associate manager Craig Albernaz said. “He's always going to have that. But it's taking his shots to drive the ball, and he did that last year.”

The Guardians launched the 2025 Ballpark Pass on Tuesday, a unique tickets opportunity for fans for the upcoming season. For $54 per month (including fees), fans will have a guaranteed ticket to attend any of Cleveland’s home games, including the sold-out April 8 opener, with a standing-room-only ticket.
 
Progressive Field has a bevy of standing-room-only sections. Those include The Corner Bar, the Left Field and Right Field Drink Rails, the Home Run Porch, Heritage Plaza and the renovated Upper Level corners -- The Pennant District in right field and the Terrace District in left.
 
You can find more information on the Ballpark Pass here.

• Right-hander Luis Ortiz is a good example of why Spring Training is about more than what you can see in a box score. Read more >>

• New dad Shane Bieber discussed the birth of his son and the positive steps he’s taken in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Read more >>

• Coming off a strong 2024, Ben Lively has enjoyed having a methodical build-up this year after his Spring Training was upended by a viral illness a year ago. Read more >>

• The Guardians’ lineup this season could feature Kwan and José Ramírez in the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, and there’s plenty of wisdom behind that possibility. Read more >>

"He continues to be relentless with his work and his desire to improve. As soon as the offseason ended, he wanted to attack his defense. He spent a week out with [field coordinator/director of defense, baserunning game strategy] Kai [Correa] in Colorado, trying to get the foundation for his offseason defensively. He put in a ton of work over the course of the winter, came back out to Goodyear early to continue the work on all sides of the ball.

"He is very driven to be a really successful player. If anything, I think we have to help him manage his own expectations for himself.” -- Team president Chris Antonetti on the work ethic of Travis Bazzana (Guardians’ No. 1 prospect, No. 10 overall) 

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