Cleveland Guardians Star Named A Top Player At His Position

Something that Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Ronald Acuna Jr. all have in common is that they're all some of Major League Baseball's top superstars. They also all just so happen to play a similar position for their respective teams.

ESPN's Buster Olney recently ranked the top corner outfielders heading into the 2025 season. Not only was this trio on his list, but so was Cleveland Guardians' All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan.

Olney ranked Kwan as the eight-best corner outfielder in baseball for the upcoming year.

The analyst noted that the 27-year-old "posted an OPS+ of 126 in 2024, and he's starting to add some thump to his swing—he had 14 home runs in 122 games last year after compiling nine homers in his first two seasons."

Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) hits an RBI single during the eighth inning in game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

While Olney focuses on Kwan's offense and also does so with the majority of the players on his list, the Guardians outfielder's defense can't be underestimated.

Following the 2024 season, Kwan won his third American League Gold Glove in left field. He ranked in the 85 percentile in outs above average and the 99th percentile in arm value last year.

Kwan was chasing a .400 batting average throughout the first half of last season. He briefly reached the mark during a game in the middle of June, but his production came crashing down following the All-Star Break.

Thankfully, after a stint on the injured list at the end of the regular season, the All-Star version of Kwan returned for the playoffs, where he was one of the Guardian's best hitters.

Between his elite defense plate discipline, contact skills, and developing power, Kwan has the skillset and potential to be considered even higher on this list as the season continues.

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