The Cleveland Guardians have won 20 of their first 30 games this year in MLB.
They look like bona fide contenders, which is kind of surprising considering their rather inactive offseason.
There is no one like Cleveland to develop its own talent and unearth some gems, though, so it shouldn’t come as such a shock.
One of these talented players carrying the team to a hot start is left fielder Steven Kwan.
Since he doesn’t have much in the way of game power, he often goes unnoticed in discussions about the best players in the league.
However, Kwan can do almost everything else well.
He is a premier leadoff hitter, boasting a .360 batting average and a .403 OBP as of Thursday afternoon.
He is also very fast and smart, and is among the league leaders in runs scored with 27.
One of the most underrated aspects of his game, however, is defense.
On Wednesday night, he won the game for the Guardians.
“Steven Kwan gives the Guardians the lead in the top of the tenth, then lays out and doubles up Victor Caratini to end the game!,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted.
Steven Kwan gives the Guardians the lead in the top of the tenth, then lays out and doubles up Victor Caritini to end the game! pic.twitter.com/NMw64qQ1ia
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 2, 2024
The game was 3-2 in favor of the Guardians, with the Houston Astros hitting in the bottom of the tenth with the ghost runner at second and one out.
Mauricio Dubon hit a soft liner toward shallow left field, but Kwan made a terrific read and jump to get to the ball before it found the grass.
Since Caratini was already near third base, all Kwan had to do was throw the ball to second baseman Andres Gimenez, who stepped on the base and got the last out.
Kwan is a two-time Gold Glover and perhaps the best left fielder in baseball.
Caratini made a mistake, and paid for it.
NEXT: Analyst Shares Quick Path For Kyle Manzardo To Reach Cleveland
