Typically when we talk about fantasy baseball players, we are talking about players who barrel the baseball up, hit it hard and provide you with power. Steven Kwan has proven himself to not be that player. However, he is a player that is providing value to fantasy baseball teams with his batting average runs scored and stolen bases. I cannot remember a player entering the league and having success the way that Kwan has been able to, but making a lot of contact, and striking out more than you walk. While we shouldn’t expect a player like Kwan to be a hot commodity during draft season, his combination of batting average/On-base percentage and stolen bases make him a player that should be on your radar, so let’s take a look to see if we can get a similar performance from Kwan in his sophomore season or maybe even more.

 

In many ways, Kwan’s profile is a throwback to the days of players like Otis Nixon, Vince Coleman and Tony Fernandez. Like those players, Kwan’s approach seems to be more about putting the ball in play and running it out. Kwan this season has an impressive contact rate of 92 percent, and that rate goes up to 95 percent when the pitch is in the zone. One of the most surprising statistics for Kwan is that his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is only 0.322. This stands out for a few reasons. His batting average is 0.298, so when you add that his sprint speed is in the 77th percentile you would expect his BABIP number to be in the mid to high 300’s not on the lower end. This should be an area where we see positive regression in future seasons which would only increase his batting average/OBP, and provide him with further opportunities to score more runs and steal more bases, which would be a boon all around.

It will be interesting to see how Kwan is valued by fantasy players heading into next year. It is very unlikely that we see the Guardians try to change his hitting profile much in the off-season as power is really the only thing you would say his game is lacking, and in many ways that is by design. He fits the stereotype of what a baseball player is supposed to be if you started playing baseball 20-plus years ago, and he is consistently putting the ball in play, and putting pressure on the defense with his speed, and with the shift coming out of the game next season I would be surprised if his style of game is any less effective. He should continue to be a player who hits for a high batting average, who doesn't strike out, and who steals around 20 bases. The question for those who draft him is going to be, can you plan around him? As good as he should be for your batting average and stolen bases, he could leave you in a rut for runs batted in and home runs so not only will his price matter but most of all your team construction. However, if you can plan around him he can be a valuable piece to your 2023 team with his unique throwback skill set.

 

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