Steven Kwan is, and has been for years, one of the most important players on the Cleveland Guardians. As you know, he plays the outfield and does a pretty good job back there: his four Gold Glove Awards prove it.
There was a time, back when he was in high school, that he was the king of the mound. That’s right: Kwan pitched, and was very good at it, at least for the level he was at back then. Can you imagine the Guardians’ outfielder starring as a hurler?
The pitcher himself talked about his days on the mound this week. He didn’t have big velocity, but he could certainly hit the corners and baffle hitters.
“I was kind of an angle guy. Fastball, could spin it pretty well, but I would time stuff. I would throw from out here. Had a palm ball. Change-up, which was terrible. I had a curveball, and I had like a spike-curve. I really enjoyed pitching. I think just being left-handed, maybe throw some knuckballs in there [if the Guardians needed an emergency pitcher]. If I tried actually throwing it hard, I would get whacked,” Kwan told Mason Horodyski of News 5 Cleveland.
ROUNDING THE BASES: STEVEN KWAN
I sit down with the #Guardians outfielder to talk about his pitching ability in high school, Super Smash Bros (and his disapproval of my main choices), favorite teammates to play chess with & more. #GuardsBall x @WEWS https://t.co/WQzTE2rt5y pic.twitter.com/KtDspXEUM8
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) July 27, 2026
No wonder why Kwan rarely commits a throwing error. His arm is strong and accurate, and is actually one of his primary tools as a major leaguer. It has allowed him to contribute nine outfield assists this year and 49 in four and a half years in MLB.
This is why baseball is so cool: it’s full of colorful stories just like Kwan’s. Players move around the diamond when they are young, before they settle in a specific position, and we miss out on some ‘what ifs’, like the possibility of Kwan having turned into a major league left-handed reliever.
The 2026 campaign has been challenging for the 28-year-old outfielder. He struggled badly in the first half, posting an 81 wRC+. However, he has been red-hot for weeks now and has taken that number to 94 as of Tuesday morning, before the doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds.
He is slashing .248/.351/.308, and all three numbers should be on the rise. He looks comfortable at the plate, driving the ball to the other way if pitchers refuse to give him anything inside. He is not trying to do too much, and that has worked wonders for his output.
NEXT: Guardians Move Down In Latest MLB Power Rankings
