Guardians All-Star Joins Elite List Following Third Gold Glove Award

Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan joins Nolan Arenado and Ichiro Suzuki as the only players to win Gold Glove awards in their first three MLB seasons.

Sep 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) catches a ball hit by Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (not pictured) during the first inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Steven Kwan may be known for his elite bat-to-ball skills and is one of the best contact hitters in baseball. However, he's not just an offensive player. Kwan is also one of the best outfield defenders in the game, making him an all-around star.

The Cleveland Guardians' All-Star outfielder joined an elite list of all-time defensive greats on Sunday after Kwan won the Gold Glove Award for American League left fielders.

Kwan has now won a Gold Glove in each of his first three seasons in the big leagues (2022, 2023, and 2024). Per Sarah Lands and Elias Sports, Kwan is one of just three players to win a Gold Glove in their first three seasons. The other players are Nolan Arenado and Ichiro Suzuki.

players to win a Gold Glove in each of their first three MLB seasons:

Nolan Arenado (first 10), Ichiro Suzuki (first 10), Steven Kwan

h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/yMx1B7Hbrk

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) November 4, 2024

Both Arenado and Suzuki will go down as one of the best defenders in MLB history at their respective positions. Not only did they each win Gold Gloves in their first three seasons, but both players won the award during the first ten years in the big leagues.

That's certainly a list you want to be on if you're looking to establish yourself as one of the best defenders of a generation of players.

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) runs off the field after catching a fly ball against Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning at Game 5 of ALDS at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kwan still has a long way to go to reach that level, but he's certainly on the right path when looking at his defensive stats compared to other AL outfielders. The Guardians leftfielder has ranked in the 85th percentile or higher in OAA the past three seasons, with him topping out at the 96th percentile in 2023.

Hopefully, what we're seeing from Kwan is just the tip of his defensive ability and he does match Arenado and Suzuki's ten season Gold Glove streak.