Steven Kwan Bio
Steven Robert Kwan is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 after playing three years of college baseball at Oregon State University. Selected by the Guardians in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB draft, Kwan quickly became part of Cleveland’s starting lineup and earned a reputation as one of the most dependable contact hitters in the league. A two-time MLB All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, he has helped anchor the Guardians’ outfield while playing a steady role in their recent postseason pushes.
Known for his plate discipline, defensive reliability, and low strikeout rate, Kwan has developed into a foundational piece for Cleveland. Through the early part of his major league career, he has combined on-base skills with award-caliber defense in left field.
Early Life and Background
Steven Robert Kwan was born on September 5, 1997, in Los Gatos, California, and was raised in nearby Fremont, California. He is of Chinese and Japanese descent; his paternal grandparents are from Guangzhou, China, while his maternal grandparents are from Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. This mixed heritage has shaped his connection to international baseball, and he has expressed interest in representing Japan in future competitions.
Kwan attended Washington High School in Fremont, where he batted .462 as a senior in 2015. Growing up, he was a San Francisco Giants fan, and his early experiences in the Bay Area helped spark his love for the game. He went on to enroll at Oregon State University, where he played three seasons of college baseball for the Beavers.
Path to Baseball
At Oregon State, Kwan’s path was not immediate. As a freshman in 2016, he played in 35 games and hit .215, later saying he did not feel he belonged among the team’s top recruits. He sat out two months of that season and worked with a sports psychologist to regain his confidence. His play improved markedly as a sophomore in 2017, when he batted .331 with one home run, 18 runs batted in, six doubles, and eight stolen bases across 55 games. He also played collegiate summer baseball that year with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
As a junior in 2018, Kwan hit .355/.463/.457 with two home runs, 41 runs batted in, and 14 stolen bases over 66 games. He batted leadoff for an Oregon State lineup that also featured Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach, and Adley Rutschman. The Beavers won the 2018 College World Series, capping a dominant college career that led to his selection by the Cleveland Indians in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB draft.
Steven Kwan Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Kwan signed with the Cleveland organization when the team was still known as the Indians and made his professional debut with the Arizona League Indians. He was promoted to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, hitting a combined .346 over 17 games between the two clubs. In 2019, he moved up to the Lynchburg Hillcats, where he batted .280 with three home runs, 39 runs batted in, and 26 doubles over 123 games.
He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kwan returned in 2021, beginning the year with the Akron RubberDucks before a late-August promotion to the Columbus Clippers. He missed six weeks that season with a strained right hamstring, but he still slashed .328/.407/.527 with 12 home runs and 44 runs batted in over 77 games. On November 19, 2021, the newly renamed Cleveland Guardians selected Kwan to their 40-man roster.
Cleveland Guardians Breakthrough (2022)
On April 2, 2022, the Guardians announced that Kwan had been named to their Opening Day roster. He made his MLB debut on Opening Day, April 7, as the starting right fielder, and recorded his first major league hit off Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow. He became just the sixth player since at least 1901 to record a five-hit game within his first three major league games, and the first player in that span to reach base safely 15 times in his first four games. He also saw 116 pitches before swinging and missing, the most for any batter to start his career since 2000.
Kwan was named American League Rookie of the Month for both April and September 2022. He hit his first major league home run on May 5 off José Berríos of the Toronto Blue Jays, and on September 25 he hit his first career grand slam off Joe Barlow of the Texas Rangers. He finished his rookie season batting .298/.373/.400 with six home runs, 52 runs batted in, 19 stolen bases, and 25 doubles, walking 62 times against 60 strikeouts to become the first rookie with more walks than strikeouts since Dustin Pedroia in 2007. He led the majors in lowest hard-hit ball percentage and highest called-strike percentage, then capped his debut by winning the American League’s left field Gold Glove Award. He was also a finalist for the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
Sustained Excellence (2023–2024)
In 2023, Kwan posted the lowest strikeout percentage in the American League at 10.4% and the lowest maximum exit velocity in the league at 105.2 mph, while batting .268/.340/.370 with five home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. He followed that by winning his second consecutive American League left field Gold Glove Award.
In 2024, Kwan batted .292/.368/.425 with 14 home runs and 83 runs batted in, posting his most productive offensive season to that point. He was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game and won his third consecutive American League left field Gold Glove Award, further cementing his status as one of the league’s elite defensive outfielders.
Continued Stardom (2025–Present)
In 2025, Kwan batted .272/.330/.374 with 11 home runs, 56 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. He was named an All-Star for the second straight season and won his fourth consecutive American League left field Gold Glove Award. Through his first several major league seasons, he has continued to balance contact hitting with elite outfield defense.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kwan’s game is built around elite plate discipline and contact rather than raw power. He rarely strikes out, draws walks at a strong rate, and consistently puts the ball in play. Defensively, his reads, routes, and reliable glove in left field have made him a four-time Gold Glove winner and a stabilizer for Cleveland’s outfield.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments are his 2022 Opening Day debut, his five-hit performance within his first three major league games, his first career grand slam in 2022, and four consecutive American League left field Gold Glove Awards from 2022 through 2025. He has also been a finalist for the American League Rookie of the Year Award and a two-time All-Star.
Steven Kwan Career Wins
While Kwan’s value has never been defined by championship rings, his individual awards represent the most important wins of his career. Through his first four full major league seasons, he has been honored with four Gold Glove Awards and two All-Star selections, while contributing consistently to the Cleveland Guardians’ competitive rosters.
MLB Highlights
Kwan’s first major league hit came on Opening Day 2022 off Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow, marking the beginning of an award-winning career. His most recent major award came after the 2025 season, when he won his fourth consecutive American League left field Gold Glove Award. He was also named to the All-Star team in both 2024 and 2025, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier all-around outfielders.
Other Performances
Before reaching the majors, Kwan starred at Oregon State, where he helped the Beavers win the 2018 College World Series as their leadoff hitter. He was also a standout in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Wareham Gatemen and posted strong numbers across every level of Cleveland’s minor league system.
Steven Kwan Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Kwan’s family background bridges two cultures. His paternal grandparents are from Guangzhou, China, while his maternal grandparents are from Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. He grew up a San Francisco Giants fan, and his family’s baseball roots helped pave the way for his own path to professional baseball.
Personal Life
Kwan was nearly recruited to play for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic but was found to be ineligible. In 2024, he expressed his interest in representing Japan in future international competitions. In February 2025, he married his girlfriend, Samantha Moy, in a courthouse wedding.
2025 Season Performance
Kwan’s 2025 campaign reinforced his standing as one of the American League’s most consistent outfielders. He batted .272/.330/.374 with 11 home runs, 56 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases, continuing to provide steady offense from the top of Cleveland’s lineup. His plate discipline and contact skills remained central to his game, even as his overall offensive numbers shifted slightly compared to 2024.
Defensively, Kwan was once again a force in left field, winning his fourth consecutive American League Gold Glove Award at the position. He was also selected to his second straight MLB All-Star Game, joining the league’s elite outfielders.
Looking ahead, Kwan remains a foundational piece of the Cleveland Guardians’ roster. With his combination of contact hitting, on-base ability, and Gold Glove-caliber defense, he is positioned to remain a fixture in Cleveland’s outfield and a central figure in the team’s push toward postseason success.
