Guardians outfielder named candidate for major end of season award

When it comes to players on the 2025 Cleveland Guardians roster who most would consider as possible candidates for end-of-season awards, there are a couple of names that instantly come to mind. This time, it is Steven Kwan who has been identified as a candidate for a major award.

That's right, it is Kwan, and not Jose Ramirez or even Emmanuel Clase, who has found himself on a list of potential award winners. Kwan was named as one of 10 possible AL MVP candidates by Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly in his ranking of MVP candidates for each league.

Kwan comes in as the eighth-ranked candidate for AL MVP per this ranking. This is a pretty impressive spot for a player best known for his elite defensive abilities, strong knowledge of the strike zone, patience at the plate, and someone who primarily hits for contact rather than power. Kwan is one of two players coming from the AL Central who ended up making the cut, as Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is the second-ranked player, just behind New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who predictably takes the top spot.

Kelly would note Kwan's performance at the plate and in the field as reasons why Kwan has found himself inside AL's Top 10. "One of baseball's most underrated stars, Steven Kwan is hitting .327 with a .391 on-base percentage. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner continues to shine in left field, as he's already racked up eight defensive runs saved." Kelly writes, making sure to mention where a few of the most important stats for Kwan stack up coming into play on Saturday, May 10th.

Even though it is a long shot for Kwan to win the 2025 AL MVP over someone like Judge or Witt Jr. this season, the fact he is being mentioned in a list alongside those two shows how far he has come as a player. Kwan has developed into something far greater than the singles hitter that many still incorrectly perceive him as, and being included on a list like this one seems like pretty good proof of that.