Guardians’ Steven Kwan breaks down Gold Glove mentality

After being a very hot topic around MLB before the trade deadline, Steven Kwan not only stuck around but led his team to the playoffs as a two-way star, with the Cleveland Guardians going 1-2 against the Detroit Tigers in the AL Wild Card round.

With the Guardians gearing up for another shot at the AL Central pennant, Kwan broke down his Gold Glove mentality to MLB Network’s Jake Peavy, explaining to baseball players young and old, why giving max effort in the field is the key to success.

“Yeah, for sure. I mean, defense should never slump, and that’s the cool thing, is you can have a really tough day at the plate, but you can save the game, and in that last inning, as long as you’re locked in,” Kwan explained. “And I mean on the flip side too, if you bring your at-bats with you in the outfield and you’re moping, you’re feeling sorry for yourself, and then that ball comes, like you could lose the game for your team too. So, I mean, you have to be able to separate those kinds of two things and like you said, play both sides of the ball.”

Initially landing in Cleveland as a fifth-round pick out of Oregon State in 2018, Kwan made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2022, getting Rookie of the Year consideration before winning his first of four-straight Golden Gloves. Though he may not be a household name, if there’s one player who embodies Cleveland’s lunchpail attitude, it’s Kwan.

"Defense should never slump."@skwanzaa, winner of four consecutive Gold Glove Awards since his MLB debut, shares his mentality in the outfield

30 Clubs, 30 Camps | @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/3sm0mSOn1V

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 2, 2026

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