Guardians Need Second-Half Star to Set the Tone Offensively

The Guardians' offense, starting with leadoff man Steven Kwan, must perform to even their ALDS series against the White Sox.

by Andrew Jamieson

Oct 5, 2026

Steven Kwan (38) of the Cleveland Guardians

David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians‘ bats went silent during their 3-0 defeat in Game 1 of their ALDS series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Cleveland recorded just three hits, two of them coming from pinch hitters Nathaniel Lowe and Patrick Bailey. The Guardians also drew five walks in the third and fourth innings but left the bases loaded both times.

Another discouraging note was that no Guardians hitter who led off an inning reached base except in the seventh. The exception was Bailey, who recorded a pinch-hit single to start the frame.

Leadoff hitter Steven Kwan went 0-for-3 with a walk during the Guardians’ Game 1 loss. Although he was far from the only Cleveland hitter who struggled, Kwan is certainly a key player the Guardians need to lead their offense.

Steven Kwan Needs to Return to Second-Half Form and Remedy Recent Postseason Struggles

After a dismal first half in which the 29-year-old hit just .225 with a dismal .282 slugging percentage, one home run, and 16 RBI, Kwan returned to his two-time All-Star form in the second half.

Over his final 62 regular-season games, Kwan slashed .353/.443/.432 with two home runs and 16 RBI. He also showed elite plate discipline, recording more walks (39) than strikeouts (26).

Kwan’s turnaround fueled the Guardians to a 16-9 record in September, helping them surpass the White Sox to earn their third consecutive American League Central title and a first-round bye.

However, his struggles at the plate on Saturday continued Kwan’s lackluster postseason numbers from 2025. In Cleveland’s Wild Card Series last year against the Detroit Tigers, Kwan went 2-for-12, with both of his hits being doubles.

Atop the Guardians’ lineup, that level of production is not ideal. If the Guardians want any shot at evening the series against the White Sox, they will need more base runners. Arguably, no one is better suited to do that and set the tone than Kwan, whose .382 on-base percentage in 2026 ranked first on the team and in the top 10 across the majors.

As a result, many eyes will be on him as Cleveland’s offense looks to bounce back before the series shifts to Chicago.

Game 2 between the Guardians and the White Sox is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday.