Getty
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan
Recently, MLB Network’s “The Shredder” released its Top 10 left fielder list ahead of the 2026 season. It comes as no surprise that it sparked a heated debate amongst baseball fans. Especially in Cleveland, where the list omitted the Cleveland Guardians‘ star left fielder, Steven Kwan. It’s not a slight oversight; it’s one of the biggest snubs when it comes to ranking the best left fielders in the MLB right now.
Why should Kwan be not only on the list, but really in the top three, maybe even first?
Guardians’ Steven Kwan’s Resume Speaks for Itself
GettySteven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians
It’s staggering to look at Kwan’s resume with the Guardians and leave him out of the Top 10 left fielders in MLB right now. Through the first four seasons of his career, the 28-year-old has won a Gold Glove in every season. The Guardians’ two-time All-Star (2024 & 2025) was left out for who knows what reason, which is a mistake. Thankfully, the fan vote made up for “The Shredders’” massive miss by ranking him first in the position.
Just by what he’s done defensively in left field should be within the top three at least on “The Shredder” list. Leaving him off entirely makes no sense. During the 2025 season, Kwan had a 3.7 wins above replacement (WAR) year, where he had 170 hits, 29 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 56 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and 55 walks compared to 60 strikeouts. His average was .272 with a slash line of .330/.374/.705 and an OPS+ of 96. While the OPS+ was the lowest of his career, he still had a career high in RBIs and tied for the best season in stolen bases. He’s been the main guy in the outfield for the Guardians over the last four seasons, especially with everyone being rotated in center and right field.
He played the second-most games in a year (156) compared to his high of 158 in 2023 with the Guardians, where his WAR was 3.2 that year, compared to the 3.7 in 2025. Brandon Marsh was the only player that wasn’t on both lists, and comparetinly speaking, he should not be there over Kwan.
Kwan Outshines Marsh
Outside of Marsh having a slightly better average, slash line, and OPS+ (114), Kwan beats him in every other category. Marsh’s WAR was 1.7, Kwan was 3.7. Kwan played in 156 games compared to the 133 for Marsh.
Hits were 170 for Kwan to 106 for Marsh, along with 21 stolen bases compared to only seven. Furthermore, Kwan had 56 RBIs, while Marsh only had 43. In terms of head-to-head, it’s only the average and slash line that Marsh had over Kwan. Furthermore, Marsh has won zero Gold Gloves compared to Kwan’s four. Marsh did not even win one in 2025, while Kwan took his fourth straight.
When it comes down to it, “The Shredder” really missed the mark on the Top 10 left fielder list, just down to omitting Kwan alone. Leaving off a four-time Gold Glove winner at the position alone makes the list questionable, especially for a guy who, in categories outside of a slash line, was not near Kwan’s productivity. Kwan should, at a minimum, be in the top three for the best left fielders in MLB going into the 2026 season. He has the case to be No. 1 at the position, just like how the fans voted.
Zach Martin Zach Martin is a sports journalist covering the MLB, mainly the Boston Red Sox, for Heavy.com. He has over four years of journalism experience, and five years of podcasting experience. He’s a credentialed Carolina Hurricanes beat writer at The Hockey Writers. Zach’s previously covered the Cleveland Guardians at Covering the Corner, along with the Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds at Fansided. Zach is originally from Ravenna, Ohio, and is now based in Lexington, SC. More about Zach Martin
More Heavy on Guardians
Loading more stories