The New York Yankees had baseball’s best offense during the regular season, yet when October arrived, that firepower fizzled. Their lineup, which led MLB with a 119 wRC+, couldn’t top the Toronto Blue Jays and their relentless, contact-driven approach in the Division Series. While the Yankees slugged and waited for big swings, the Blue Jays kept putting balls in play, stretching doubles into gaps, and forcing mistakes.
That difference in offensive philosophy might just reshape how the Yankees build their roster this winter. It’s not that the Blue Jays didn’t show power because they did, but they were much more oriented to contact hitting and almost won the World Series.
A New Type of Target
According to SNY’s Anthony McCarron, the Yankees could take a page straight out of Toronto’s playbook. McCarron floated an intriguing idea: trading for Cleveland Guardians All-Star Steven Kwan, one of the most consistent contact hitters in baseball.
“Schooled by the Blue Jays all year, including in October, the Yanks nab something from Toronto’s playbook and add non-strikeout, plus-contact offense to their roster via trade by dangling top prospect Spencer Jones,” McCarron wrote. “Can they pry Steven Kwan from Cleveland? He’d be an ideal leadoff hitter who also happens to be the best defensive left fielder in baseball.”
It’s not hard to see why. Kwan’s 8.7 percent strikeout rate this past season was among the best in the league, a stunning contrast to the Yankees’ 23.5 percent mark—sixth-highest in MLB.
A Perfect Fit in the Bronx
Kwan doesn’t hit for much power, but calling him powerless would be a mistake. He’s managed 25 home runs over the past two seasons and makes up for any lack of pop with elite speed, range, and contact ability. His glove alone would be a massive upgrade in left field.
He’s also known for his patience and zone control—traits the Yankees lineup could desperately use. Even more intriguing is the impact next year’s new ABS (automated ball-strike) challenge system could have on his production. Kwan has been one of the hitters most hurt by incorrect strike calls, and a fairer strike zone could lift his already-solid .351 career on-base percentage even higher.
Imagine Kwan setting the table ahead of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It’s a vision that practically writes itself.
The Cost of Contact
The question, of course, is what it would take to get him. McCarron suggests a package built around outfield prospect Spencer Jones, who just completed a breakout season with 35 home runs, 29 stolen bases, and a 153 wRC+ between Double-A and Triple-A. Jones has the power-speed blend teams dream about—but also some risk due to his high strikeout rate and developing approach.
Cleveland doesn’t make these trades easily. The Guardians know the value of a player like Kwan: under team control for two more seasons, affordable, and tailor-made for their contact-oriented offense. Any deal would require the Yankees to make a painful decision—sacrifice upside for reliability, or stay the course with their internal prospects.
A Trade That Makes Too Much Sense
A Kwan-for-Jones framework might sound unlikely, but not impossible. The Yankees’ front office has shown a growing awareness that their offense, while powerful, needs more variety. Mixing in a high-contact leadoff hitter could balance the lineup in a way pure slugging never could.
Sometimes, the smartest move a team can make isn’t the flashiest—it’s the one that fills a subtle, glaring need. Steven Kwan might not make headlines with 450-foot blasts, but his consistency, defense, and discipline could be exactly what the Yankees are missing.
The only question is whether Brian Cashman and company are ready to trade potential for precision.