History is being made in the Cleveland Guardians outfield, with one standout player trying to make his case for best defender in Cleveland history.

Steven Kwan earned his fourth consecutive Gold Glove in left field on Sunday, helping to build his legacy as a Guardian. This was Kwan’s fourth honor in four years in the major league. 

The award ties him with the great Kenny Lofton for the most consecutive Gold Gloves by a Cleveland outfielder. Lofton received his awards between 1993-96, during his first stint with the team.

In 2010 Lofton was named to the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame, but did not receive enough votes to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Even more impressive, Kwan’s four straight awards are the third most for any player to start their career, only trailing Nolan Arenado and Ichiro Suzuki, who both won the honor in each of their first 10 big league seasons.

Kwan ranked first among all fielders in Defensive Runs Saved (22). He led MLB in outfield assists (13) and prevented seven extra runs by baserunners. He managed to log 170 hits and 56 RBIs this season.

Kwan came to the team as a prospect with low expectations back in the 2018 draft. He spent some time in the minor leagues, before finally making his MLB debut in 2022. Since then, he has been the model of consistency. There hasn’t been a season yet where Kwan wasn’t recognized as a top fielder in all of baseball, and he’s earned two all-star selections along the way.

Kwan played a crucial role in helping the Guardians turn their struggling season around, and make a late and historical comeback for the division, and a playoff berth. Kwan had to deal with a right wrist injury around the time of the all-star break, having a notable dropoff in production as he dealt with it. 

When he managed to get back to full strength, he continued to be one of Cleveland’s most consistent players and top performers.

Now Kwan can set his sights towards Omar Vizquel, who leads the franchise all-time in Gold Gloves with eight. Vizquel did that in 10 seasons with Cleveland, and would earn 11 total in his 24-year career.

Kwan has already managed to build a legacy in Cleveland. Despite having some trade rumors early this offseason, the front office has made it clear they plan on building around him. Kwan will continue to grow his legacy and will likely end his career as the best defender the Guardians have ever seen.