Steven Kwan reveals Guardians’ "secret sauce" behind sustained results

The Cleveland Guardians don't boast big names outside Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez but make the postseason regularly. They are coming off a 2024 season, where they made it to the ALCS.

Since 2016, the Guardians have missed the postseason just thrice. While they haven't won the World Series, MLB analyst Harold Reynolds thinks there's a "secret sauce" why they have had sustained success.

On Tuesday, Reynolds, talking with Guardians leadoff hitter Kwan, wanted to know about the "secret sauce" behind his team's results.

"I think it’s preparation. Preparation and fundamentals," Kwan replied. "We take every day really seriously — as boring as that sounds, you know. We always make the joke that we have a lot of meetings, but I think the meetings are important.

"We go over baserunning, we go over tips, we go over positioning — all that kind of stuff. And it’s every day. You don’t get to take days off from that.

Kwan stressed the importance of clicking when teammate Jose Ramirez is having his way.

"I mean, when José is the one locked in, you kind of have to show up," Kwan added.

"And I think you can win a game here and there that maybe you shouldn’t have — if you play the game the right way. So, never take any day for granted. We’ve got a lot of young guys who are excited to play, and I think we just continue to ride that momentum."

Steven Kwan praises Guardians manager

The Guardians have had a decent 25-21 start to the season. They could have done better had they not been hit with injuries, including starting pitcher, Shane Bieber, who's yet to turn up on the mound this season.

Steven Kwan thinks manager Stephen Vogt has done well despite not having his best players as he succinctly described his managing style.

“He loves us, and we believe that,” Kwan told MLB Network.

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Unlike managers who like to micro-manage players, Kwan praised Vogt for being a "hands-off" guy, suggesting the Guardians skipper trusts his players to do the job.

The Guardians' game with the Twins on Tuesday was called off due to inclement weather. The two teams will play on Wednesday before the Guardians start their four-game series against the Detroit Tigers on the road.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Bhargav