Steven Kwan appears to be like just like the form of man who will get underestimated. He’s undersized. He doesn’t hit the ball notably onerous. He performs for a franchise that’s most well-known for refusing to spend cash. Nonetheless, I don’t suppose many individuals are underestimating Kwan today. He’s the undisputed second-best participant on the Guardians, behind solely future Corridor of Famer José Ramírez. He’s a two-time All-Star. He’s by no means put up fewer than 3.0 WAR in a season. He’s by no means not received a Gold Glove. Everyone is aware of that he’s a fantastic participant, however I’d like to focus on a pair particular components of his sport that we are inclined to take with no consideration.
Kwan’s protection actually receives loads of appreciation. In two of his 4 main league seasons (2023 and 2025), he has swept the three superior defensive metrics, ending first amongst all left fielders in Defensive Runs Saved, Deserved Runs Prevented, and Fielding Run Worth. In 2022, he completed first in each DRS and FRV, however didn’t lead in DRP. In 2024, he completed in second in FRV and fourth in DRS (however due to the arguably arcane innings minimal of 900, he did lead all Gold Glove-eligible left fielders in each metrics). The purpose of this sophisticated litany is that the entire main defensive metrics love Kwan, and that’s vital as a result of they use very totally different strategies, strategies don’t at all times line up. DRS detests Oneil Cruz, however FRV thinks he’s nice. DRP loves Randy Arozarena though the opposite two techniques hate his guts. All of the techniques can agree on Kwan. Whether or not you’re breaking down video with human eyes or analyzing catch chance via the lens of a high-speed Statcast digicam, if you take a look at Kwan, you’ll see one of the best left fielder within the sport.
All the identical, in a earlier period, with out these numerous superior views, we would not have appreciated Kwan like we must always. He’s by no means possessed blazing velocity, particularly for an outfielder. Certainly, for the previous two seasons, his velocity has truly been under common. He additionally makes surprisingly few jaw-dropping catches. He makes an honest proportion of his four-and five-star probabilities, and like so many nice defenders, he makes them look too simple. His spotlight reel is shockingly mild on the full-extension, gravity-defying diving catch we usually affiliate with premium outfield protection. This was the one instance he provided in 2025:
As of late, we all know sufficient to not let that idiot us. Kwan’s jumps grade out notably nicely, and he’s aggressive when he assaults the ball within the hole and down the road. That’s extra vital than your prime dash velocity. Kwan additionally does the little issues nicely, and at the moment we’re going to give attention to two of these little issues.
Progressive Discipline is especially shallow in left area. It’s 325 ft down the road and 370 ft within the hole. Consequently, opposing left fielders place themselves at a median depth of simply 289 ft, shallower than each stadium aside from Fenway Park. Progressive additionally has a excessive wall, and the mix of these two components signifies that outfielders must make a whole lot of performs on the wall. That’s a specialty of Kwan’s. Based on Statcast, in 2025, he did not catch only one ball that was close to the wall and had a catch chance above 15%. The truth is, over his whole four-season profession, he’s did not catch a ball like that simply six occasions. Six! And whereas he doesn’t lay out all that a lot, he does make eye-popping performs on the wall:
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A few of these performs, just like the one above, look spectacular. However a lot of them don’t, and it’s surprisingly simple for an outfielder to cover a deficit of wall expertise. When an outfielder is fearful about crashing into the wall, they’ll decelerate their pursuit of the ball a bit. By the point the ball comes down, it appears to be like like they by no means had an opportunity of catching it within the first place. You’d by no means guess that these performs had respective catch percentages of 90% and 70%, even after factoring in a wall problem low cost:
When that transfer loses its efficacy, the outfielder can pull up and area the ball on the hop. In the event that they pull it off easily, it appears to be like like they made the good play all lengthy by holding the runner to a single. It disguises the truth that the ball would have been very catchable had they, you realize, tried to catch it. In fact, generally the ball bounces clear over the wall for a floor rule double, which does have a tendency to interrupt the spell:
When you’re questioning why I picked on Andrew Benintendi on all these performs, it’s as a result of Statcast rated him because the worst outfielder in baseball going again in 2025. I couldn’t have put these clips collectively for Kwan. He at all times goes after the ball onerous, and he practically at all times catches it. Significantly, the man is fearless:
These performs on the wall are vital not simply because they give the impression of being cool and have harm danger. Balls on the wall symbolize massive swings when it comes to worth. A wall ball that falls in is sweet for a double, extra when you screw it up badly.
The final piece I’d like to say is Kwan’s arm. It’s the explanation I wished to write down about him within the first place. Kwan led all outfielders with 13 assists in 2025. It’s a giant a part of the explanation he received his fourth Gold Glove, however I are usually suspicious of gaudy outfield help totals. They’re not notably sticky year-over-year, as a result of they contain a good quantity of luck and happenstance. An ideal throw can go for naught as a result of the runner pulls up on the final second, or as a result of they execute an ideal swim transfer, or as a result of they knock the ball out of the fielder’s glove, or as a result of the fielder makes a slipshod tag, or as a result of the fielder rushes to make the tag and fails to catch it — the listing goes on. However Kwan has been unusually constant. In his 4 seasons, he has racked up 40 assists, essentially the most within the sport. He’s led the league as soon as and he’s by no means ranked under eleventh.
As soon as once more, all three main defensive metrics recognize Kwan’s arm. It ranks ninth based on Statcast, eleventh in accordance DRS, and third based on DRP. Kwan has a observe document of throwing runners out, and Statcast charges his arm power as a bit above common for a left fielder. However let me present you one thing. The desk under options the highest 10 outfielders in arm worth from 2022 to 2025. Kwan is the one left fielder on there.
Right here’s easy methods to learn the desk. The primary 4 columns present run values, with the general worth first, then a breakdown of the way it was accrued: the worth misplaced when runners superior and took an additional base, then the worth gained by the runners the fielder threw out, and final, the worth gained by runners who held up and didn’t even attempt to advance. The three columns on the suitable present the proportion of occasions that the runner tried to advance and take an additional base, then Statcast’s estimated advance try charge based mostly on the particular particulars of the play, then the distinction between the 2. I’ve made the desk sortable, so be at liberty to mess around with it, however I’ve additionally highlighted each place the place Kwan is both on the prime or the underside:
Most Worthwhile Outfield Arms (2022-2025)
Supply: Baseball Savant
Yeah, he’s on the prime or the underside an terrible lot, and the widespread theme between these excessive marks is that runners will not be respecting his arm like they need to. He’s received the fewest holds and he’s misplaced essentially the most worth attributable to runners taking the additional base. He’s received essentially the most worth for runners thrown out. Whenever you’re an outfielder, you don’t actually get to resolve the way you accrue worth (or don’t) along with your arm. When you’re Aaron Choose and runners are afraid of your arm, then you definately’ll rack up passive worth as they refuse time and again to take the additional base. When you’re Christian Yelich, who has a giant league-worst five-point hole between his precise and anticipated advance try charges, then you definately’ve both received to throw runners out or watch your previously Gold Glove-caliber protection go up in flames.
Kwan is the one participant on the listing whose precise advance charge is a full level greater than his estimated advance charge. Even when you go all the way in which right down to the highest 25, you’ll solely discover one different outfielder with an precise advance try charge that’s greater than their estimated charge. As a reminder, it is a listing of the ten most precious outfield arms in baseball over a four-year interval. Kwan has topped it for 2 years working now, and he’s accomplished it the onerous method, by throwing out runner after runner, and but when it comes to respect from baserunners, he grades out in simply the twenty ninth percentile.
Or no less than he used to. Issues have modified a bit extra not too long ago. When you break issues down by yr, you’ll discover Statcast didn’t love Kwan’s arm within the first two seasons of his profession, and neither did opposing runners, who ran up an try charge three factors greater than the estimated charge. Within the final two years, nevertheless, they’ve been a bit extra cautious, going for the additional base one level much less typically than anticipated. Kwan is lastly incomes the smallest modicum of respect, however judging by his still-gaudy help numbers, runners owe fairly a bit extra: