Stephen Vogt Opens Up About Steven Kwan’s New Role

The Cleveland Guardians are experimenting with different defensive alignments during spring training, and Steven Kwan is at the center of one of the more interesting tests. The Gold Glove outfielder has spent much of his career in left field, but the team is giving him opportunities in center field this spring. Manager Stephen Vogt believes the experience will help Kwan expand his defensive versatility. Even if there are growing pains, the Guardians see long-term value in the experiment.

Kwan is already regarded as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. His instincts, quick first step, and strong fundamentals helped him win four Gold Gloves in left field. Moving to center field presents a different challenge, however, because the position requires covering more ground.

During a recent spring game against the Dodgers, Kwan experienced both the challenge and the learning process that comes with the transition. On a hard line drive hit by Zach Ehrhard in the fourth inning, Kwan took a poor route toward right center. The ball reached the wall and allowed two runs to score, leaving him visibly frustrated.

Beautiful 2-run triple by Zach Ehrhard ✍️ pic.twitter.com/ZsK1vpJUoS

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 3, 2026

Despite the mistake, the Guardians view moments like that as part of the learning process.

“Spring training’s great because you get tested in different ways,” Vogt said. “Every ball that we’re seeing to Kwan, those are the first. He’s putting them in the memory bank and he’s going to be ready to make the play the next time.”

Later in that game, Kwan recovered and made a nice diving play.

Steven Kwan appeared unhappy at himself after he came up short pursuing a Zach Ehrhard liner into the right-center gap, which turned into a triple.

Here, he covered 86 feet and navigated some traffic to make a nice catch in shallow center. pic.twitter.com/EoKq8SrfZ6

— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) March 3, 2026

The coaching staff plans to keep giving Kwan opportunities in center field throughout camp.

For the Guardians, the experiment makes sense. Having a player with Kwan’s defensive reputation capable of handling multiple outfield spots would add flexibility to the lineup. It could also open opportunities for other hitters to fit into the outfield rotation.

Spring training is designed for exactly this type of evaluation, and the Guardians are using every opportunity to see how their roster can evolve.