Guardians outfield instability robbed Steven Kwan on chance to make Gold Glove history

For the first four years of Steven Kwan’s career, his glove was always golden. While a lot of the headlines around the start of his career focused on his crazy lack of swing-and-miss, he wasted no time turning left field into his own. 

And it became his own for the next four years, spanning two managers, three postseason appearances and two All-Star nods. But that Gold Glove history came to an end this year when he was named a Gold Glove finalist, but lost out the award to Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. 

Although Kwan still spent plenty of time in left field for the Guardians this season, he spent almost just as much season at center field. While that may seem silly since he had more appearances in left field (98) compared to center field (88), he had more innings in center (637 innings) than left (626 2/3). 

Steven Kwan's Gold Glove streak came to an end today

The Guardians did everything they could to keep Kwan in left for the first four seasons of his career (which was admittedly easier when Myles Straw was in the fold), but that changed this year so they could fit Chase DeLauter into their outfield plans. And, to his credit, Kwan seemed willing to make the change. 

It looked like a mistake earlier in the year when Kwan limped out to the worst start of his career while alternating between left and center, he finished the season on an absolute tear and ended the year with better offensive numbers in games where he was in center (.711 OPS) compared to left (.696).

He was just as good on defense, as he finished the year with +6 Outs Above Average (90th percentile), though almost all of that positive production came in center field thanks to his strong range and above-average throwing arm. 

That wasn’t enough to sneak the Gold Glove away from Rafaela, who won the center field Gold Glove for the second straight season on the back of a season where he had 17 Outs Above Average and made 10 five-star catches. Tough for Kwan to compete against that. 

But even though Kwan’s Gold Glove streak came to an end thanks to that position change, his mark of being a finalist shows that he should be just as good in the outfield in 2027 (so long as the Guardians hold on to him). 

Petey Halpin showed enough flashes in the postseason to show that he should get a shot to man center in 2027, but having Kwan in the fold is about as good of insurance as you can have. 

In fact, he’s one of the best defenders you can have in baseball; Cleveland doesn’t need him to win a Gold Glove Award to know that. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow