With Steven Kwan spending time in center field, which Cleveland Guardians will be playing left field during spring training?
The Cleveland Guardians are trying to figure out what their best offensive lineup will be heading into the 2026 season, and with that, there will inevitably be some changes on the defensive side of things, too.
One of the experiments the Guardians are going to run this spring will be shifting Steven Kwan to center field on occasion, giving other players the opportunity to see what they can do in left.
Even though Kwan has been a left fielder since making his MLB debut, he has plenty of experience in center when he was coming up through the Minor Leagues.
But with Kwan spending time shifted over to a different position, who will be in line to see more reps in left field?
Stephen Vogt shared late in the week that some of the players who will see time in left field are Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Jonathan Rodriguez, Angel Martinez, and Nolan Jones.
Cleveland’s skipper also made it clear that “if you're an outfielder in camp, you'll probably get a little time at multiple spots. I don't think we have anyone in camp that’s going to only play one spot in the outfield.”
Sep 17, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) celebrates with center fielder Nolan Jones (22) during the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn ImagesOther candidates that Vogt didn’t mention, but could see time on the left side of the outfield, include Petey Halpin and Kahlil Watson. In fact, Halpin is starting in left for the Guardians in their split-squad Cactus League Opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
All of these potential candidates playing left field during the regular season is contingent on how Kwan feels in center, which he admitted will be a “full-blown” experiment.
“I think awareness is going to be the most important thing. Just understanding even the smaller things of running to center field in between innings, like that's more miles on the legs that are going to add up,” Kwan said. “So just probably being more intentional in the training room, understanding running form, all that kind of stuff.”
Cleveland’s outfield experiment will definitely be something to watch during spring training. Yes, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on who plays in left field, but also how Kwan looks in center, too.
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