Steven Kwan, an All-Star, hit a home run and went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, solidifying his position as the top hitter in Major League Baseball. His performance led the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Kwan’s eighth home run came in the third inning against Justin Anderson. The Guardians, who lead the AL Central, won two out of three games in the series and now boast the best home record in baseball at 28-10.
Despite missing a month due to a hamstring injury, Kwan has maintained a batting average above .350 for most of the season, even flirting with .400 at one point. He currently holds a batting average of .367, which is 48 points higher than the second-ranked hitter, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers, who also played on Thursday.
Kwan leads the AL with 12 games where he has collected three hits.
“It feels great,” Kwan commented on leading the league in hitting. “It shows that the injury is behind me now. That was a big concern for me.”
Earlier in the week, Kwan was selected as an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. In the final game of the series against the White Sox, he also contributed with an RBI from a bases-loaded walk.
Cleveland’s manager, Stephen Vogt, praised Kwan’s consistent performance: “Kwannie continues to impress.”
Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor, and Andrés Giménez each drove in two runs for the Guardians.
Ben Lively (8-4) pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits to earn the win for Cleveland. Lively, who joined the team as a free agent in December, remains undefeated in six starts at Progressive Field with a 5-0 record.
