X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Steven Kwan: Champ or Chump for Fantasy Baseball?

Steven Kwan fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers waiver wire MLB injury news

Steven Kwan was one of the biggest stories to come out of MLB's Opening Week, setting numerous records for most times on base over a player's first X games. Unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old has endured a couple of hitless games and likely won't hit .400. Now that the initial performance is in the rear-view mirror, it's time to see who Kwan really is as a baseball player and fantasy asset.

While it seems like Kwan's success came out of nowhere, that's not entirely accurate. He wasn't a huge prospect as a fifth-round selection in the 2018 Amateur Draft, but a breakout 2021 on the farm earned him an honorable mention in Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects, the 58th spot on the FanGraphs top-100 prospect list, and the 61st slot in the ZiPS projection system's 100 prospects. There is some pedigree here.

Projection systems also like Kwan. For example, his FGDC projected line is .285/.360/.433 with 12 HR over a full season (FGDC is a blend of Steamer and ZiPS projections with manual playing time inputs). Here is a closer look at why you might want the outfielder on your fantasy roster moving forward.

Featured Promo: Get any MLB Premium Pass FREE ($119 value) AND up to a $200 deposit match when you sign up with Rival Fantasy. Rival offers 6 and 12-team Best Ball, weekly and daily contests, for as little as $3 per entry. No roster management, just draft and Rival sets your best lineup automatically. Playing fantasy baseball has never been easier! Sign Up Today!

 

Unicorn in the Minors

In an age where all young hitters are instructed to elevate the ball regardless of strikeouts, Kwan's 2021 MiLB numbers buck the trend. He hit .337/.411/.539 with seven homers over 221 PAs for Double-A (Akron) last season with nearly identical 10 BB% and 10.4 K% rates. His .354 BABIP was partially fueled by a 25.3 LD% that he may not replicate at the highest level, but above-average foot speed and a line-drive stroke help him project for an elevated BABIP in the Show. Furthermore, his microscopic 2.6 SwStr% suggests that his K% will remain low, helping him get more out of his BABIP.

Impressive as those numbers look in the modern game, they're even more impressive when you factor in the environment where he produced them. Akron is a notorious pitcher's park, ranking in the 5th percentile for scoring, 42nd for homers, and 5th for BABIP across all MiLB parks in 2019 per Baseball America. If Kwan did what he did in a stadium that actively works against his game, what could he do in a neutral environment?

Cleveland decided to find out by promoting Kwan to Triple-A (Columbus) in late August last year and he hit .311/.411/.505 with five homers in 120 PAs. His 11.7 BB% was nearly double his 6.7 K% and his BABIP was only .300, suggesting that batted ball luck played a minimal role in his success. His SwStr% increased to 2.7%, suggesting that his contact-oriented approach had no problem adapting to more advanced competition.

Columbus is a fairer ballpark for hitters than Akron is, but Kwan's home park still worked against him. Columbus ranked in the 80th percentile for scoring and the 98th for homers thanks to the nitro-charged baseball used on the farm in 2019, but it only ranked in the 37th percentile for BABIP. Kwan's entire game is BABIP, though you might want to put a small asterisk next to his Triple-A power numbers.

 

Is There Any Pop in Kwan's Bat?

Kwan hit a total of 12 HR over 341 PAs last season, working out to about a 20 HR pace over a full season. He posted a 10.6% HR/FB at Double-A and 16.7% at Triple-A, so he wasn't a pure slap hitter in the mold of former 2B Luis Castillo. Kwan also hit a reasonable number of balls in the air with FB% marks of 38.8% at Double-A and 33.3% at Triple-A.

The young outfielder doesn't have the frame to transform into a 30 HR slugger, but his outstanding hit tool (70-grade per FanGraphs) and his sheer volume of batted balls should help him deposit a few baseballs over the fence. You shouldn't roster him expecting power, but he won't be a total zero there either.

 

Can Kwan Run?

As noted above, Kwan possesses above-average speed that should help him run elevated BABIPs in the majors. Sadly for fantasy managers, Kwan doesn't appear to have the base-stealing instincts to go with his speed. His single-season high for stolen bases was 11 in 2019, and they came with seven CS for an awful success rate of 61%. He went 6-for-8 on the bases last season for a 75% success rate, but the attempts were too low for fantasy purposes. Kwan will probably swipe a handful of bags but won't be a difference-maker in the category.

 

The Final Verdict

Kwan may have middling power and speed numbers, but he should have no problem hitting .290 or better even when his .400 BABIP normalizes and he stops walking 21.6% of the time. His success to date is predicated on otherworldly contact and plate discipline skills, both of which are backed by his performance on the farm. Kwan is also seen as a plus defender who should stay in the lineup during slumps. Throw in plus speed and an absolute refusal to strikeout and you have a must-roster asset in all leagues that count batting average.

He's played himself into the second slot in the Guardians lineup, so his batting average should come with a solid number of runs and RBI as well. Kwan is currently rostered in 77% in Yahoo! formats, so you might still be able to grab him for free. Otherwise, he might be cheap in trade if his current manager sees him as a fluke. Either way, Kwan looks like a Champ for the rest of the season.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nick Senzel3 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray3 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele3 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons5 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler6 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson6 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele6 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle6 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans6 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic6 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric6 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney6 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga6 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant6 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith6 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen7 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara7 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele7 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes7 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
Cameron Johnson7 hours ago

Out Against Chicago On Friday
Luka Doncic7 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar7 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Deandre Ayton7 hours ago

Is Questionable For Friday
Rudy Gobert7 hours ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones7 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday
Zeke Nnaji7 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Minnesota
Jaden Ivey7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee7 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards7 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani7 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson7 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo7 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley8 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque8 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez8 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler8 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel9 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley9 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal9 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes10 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis10 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer11 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw12 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler12 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager12 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz12 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds14 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano16 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Aaron Ekblad17 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov17 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto17 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin17 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard17 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins17 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist17 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear17 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad3 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan4 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson4 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF