There’s no telling where the Cleveland Guardians’ lineup would be over the past few years without the steady presence of All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan atop the lineup every day. He will be needed more than ever in 2026 with how much uncertainty there is in the outfield around him.
An interesting early development in Spring Training is the fact that Stephen Vogt is giving Kwan a lot of reps in center field. It’s the most important position in the outfield, and given the fact that Kwan keeps collecting Gold Gloves every offseason, it would make sense to shift him over to center at least until Chase DeLauter proves he can stay healthy.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter ranked all the center fielders in the league, and he had Kwan sixth. He also brought up the elephant in the room of Kwan’s contract situation and noted that him being a center fielder could make him more money in free agency after the 2027 season.
“After winning four straight Gold Gloves in left field, Kwan is trying his hand in center this year for a Cleveland team without a clear answer at the position. If he can settle in up the middle, it might help keep the oft-injured Chase DeLauter healthy by lining him up at a corner spot. Kwan is also a free agent after the 2027 season, and it would add to his market appeal if he can play a quality center field,” Reuter wrote.
Kwan reportedly made some significant changes to his approach at the plate this offseason, not that he needs it. He did fall off down the stretch last year, which coincided with the entire lineup falling off a cliff, so if he can get back to being a contender for the batting title while keeping up some of his recent power, it would be a massive boost to this lineup.
Moving to center field is a daunting task, but Vogt urged fans not to worry about it. Kwan has all the makings of a star center fielder, and his defense shouldn’t have any problem translating to a new position.
Corner outfield spots are typically where teams want power bats to play, so if two of these prospects can evolve into 25-homer bats, they’d fit better in right and left field than they would in center. Nothing is set in stone yet and there are still plenty of moving parts, but it’ll be exciting to see Kwan in center this year.
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