Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan could win his fourth consecutive Gold Glove. The key? It's his mastery of the left-field wall at Progressive Field.
CLEVELAND — When Steven Kwan was promoted to the major leagues to open the 2022 season, his biggest opponent defensively happened to be the 19-foot wall in left field at Progressive Field, which can create some unusual caroms compared to many other ballparks.
It's a task he has since mastered. And in part because of that, he's well on his way to his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Kwan, who threw out a runner at home plate in the Guardians' 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins Aug. 12, leads the major leagues with 11 outfield assists. He's also tied with Boston's Ceddane Rafaela for the most Defensive Runs Saved among American League outfielders with 16.
No other outfielder has more than seven assists this season. Several of Kwan's 11 assists have come on similar plays: a line-drive hit off the 19-foot wall in left field, he positions himself correctly, fields the ball cleanly and fires it to second base with an arm that ranks in the 100th percentile among outfielders. He's taken away a few doubles in what is becoming a signature play.
When Kwan began as Cleveland's everyday left fielder, he was reminded of just how proficient Michael Brantley was when playing balls off that wall. It was a key trait in his development, like many young outfielders learning the nuances of their home ballpark.
"I [knew then] I want to stay here, so I've got to learn how to do that," Kwan said. "Understanding that big wall in left, it's pretty unique, so the angles on that are not what you'd expect."
The logos that plaster the facade of the wall can help. It was a learning process that took about a full season, but Kwan began to be able to masterfully predict how a certain ball hit on a certain line would carom off the 811 (Call Before You Dig) logo, as opposed to the Cleveland Clinic next to it or the Pepsi logo next to that.
Or, how the ball reacts when it hits just above the video board, where Progressive logos line the top. Plus, the video board itself has fencing over it, meaning the ball will ricochet straight down to the warning track.
"It's really just repping it over and over," Kwan said. "[Batting practice], seeing balls when we're out with [outfield coach J.T. Maguire], just reinforcing that, and it's just repping it until it's boring and it's second nature."
Could Steven Kwan win his fourth Gold Glove?
If it's off the left-most part of the wall, toward the foul pole, that Kwan has perfected the art of fielding the ball on one bounce — often bare-handed — and throwing out runners at second base. It's an angle that often trips up visiting left fielders.
The most dangerous part of the wall is near the very top of the wall closer to center field and above the video board. That took the longest for Kwan to master. If it hits that part as opposed to the fencing on the video board, the difference in ricochet is pretty extreme. In fact, if Kwan can see it's heading for the fencing, he's been able to deke hitters into thinking he'll catch it, knowing the ball will die once it hits.
"The one that would put fear into me is that strip of Progressive [logos] at the top, where if it hits off that, it's going to bounce back quick," Kwan said. "If I see a ball that I think is going to hit the fence, I'll just go all the way up to the top [of the warning track] and deke it or something."
Kwan's mastery of that 19-foot wall at Progressive Field has made him the best defensive left fielder in the game. And it's why, barring something pretty major and unforeseen, he's likely headed to his fourth Gold Glove in his fourth major league season.
Opposing left fielders often end up giving away an extra base on a misplay of a bounce off the wall. Kwan is taking those bases away.
"I mean, he works on it," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "And I think there's something we used to talk about all the time as young baseball players are coming up — the bases don't move. You know exactly where the base is. So if you can get your body into a position to where you just have to catch the ball and throw it, you're going to throw it online.
"[Kwan] does that better than most in the big leagues, and it's not by accident."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians All-Star Steven Kwan on pace for 4th Gold Glove Award
Category: Baseball
