Cleveland Guardians four-time Gold Glove left fielder Steven Kwan will get some reps in a different outfield position at spring training in Goodyear, Ariz.
The Guardians plan on giving Kwan looks in center field.
The 28-year-old has only appeared in eight games in center field, just one of which came in 2025 for only an inning. However, Kwan is no stranger to the position. The two-time All-Star manned the middle of the outfield in 127 games during his college career at Oregon State, and in 152 games during his time in the Guardians' minor league system.
The Guardians have several options on how they can configure their outfield in 2026, and the 28-year-old is being flexible on his role.
“It's a full-blown experiment,” Kwan told reporters on Friday. “We're going to take as much data as we can, and then we'll figure something out in the end.”
Kwan says there are some advantages to playing center that he is looking forward to taking advantage of.
“Those angles are just so much better [in center],” Kwan said. “In left field, you get the hook line drives from the righties or the flare balls from the lefties on the line. Those are just so unfun. And you have to just be so precise with those reads. Center field, at least you have a better idea.”
Kwan will also get to use a PitchCom wireless communication system, “I missed that completely, so you know what pitch is coming out there… you just have a little more at your disposal in terms of resources.”
Kwan won’t be the only one playing a different outfield role.
“I think if you're an outfielder in camp, you'll probably get a little time at multiple spots,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told the media on Friday. “I don't think we have anyone in camp that's going to only play one spot in the outfield.”
Vogt mentioned Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Johnathan Rodríguez, Angel Martinez and Nolan Jones as some of the team's options that will see time in left field.
The Guardians open up their spring training schedule Saturday, Feb. 21, with two split-squad games, taking on the Cincinnati Reds at 3:05 p.m. and the Milwaukee Brewers at 3:10 p.m.
