Ichiro Suzuki headlines Guardians phenom Steven Kwan's top 5 MLB players of all time

Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan has made a name for himself as one of the best contact hitters in baseball. So it wasn't surprising to learn that his top five MLB players of all time includes those who value defense, hustle and fundamentals.

During an interview on the No Agenda podcast on Wednesday, Kwan named Ichiro Suzuki among his top five MLB players of all time.

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Steven Kwan explains why Ichiro Suzuki is his No. 1

MLB: Seattle Mariners-Workouts - Source: Imagn

If there's anyone the Guardians outfielder takes his game after, it's Ichiro Suzuki. The former Mariners legend left an indelible mark on the league with his presence, including 10 All-Star selections and an AL MVP in 2001. He boasts the record for most hits (262) in a season.

"Ichiro—number one for sure," Kwan said (46:12 onwards). "I’m probably missing some, but those are the ones that jump to the top of my mind right now. Ichiro."

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Kwan picks Ender Inciarte for his defensive skills

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The first name Steven Kwan picked to begin his list was Ender Inciarte, a former Gold Glove-winning outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves. As an undersized outfielder himself, Kwan admired Inciarte’s elite defensive skills.

"My first one’s going to be Ender Inciarte," Kwan said. "What got me was seeing him — I think he’s Venezuelan — doing these outfield drills on the beach, working in the sand, just getting after it.

"I think he was like 5’10”, maybe 5’11”, kind of a shorter guy like me. He’s still taller, but just seeing him make these all-out plays was crazy."

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Cole Calhoun gets named on Steven Kwan's list

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Steven Kwan named Cole Calhoun, whom he briefly played with. Calhoun's Superman dive makes him one of Kwan's favorites.

"That Superman dive where he just almost belly flops hard," Kwan added. "I got to see that in person, and it was a full-circle moment for me. That was so cool. He’s a baller, plays the game the right way — he’s got to be up there."

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Steven Kwan namedrops Travis Shaw and Buster Posey in quick succession

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Unlike previous names, Steven Kwan didn't have much to say about Travis Shaw and Buster Posey but just that they are deserving of being in the all-time list.

"Travis Shaw — yes, sir, was a dog," Kwan said. "Buster Posey did everything for the Bay, and now he’s an owner over there. So, you know, if he ever wants to finesse my way over there, I’d love to. That’d be amazing."

While the list didn't include obvious names like Barry Bonds or Lou Gehrig, they seem to be more catered on who Kwan's game took inspiration from.