“It hit the ground”; “What a grab” - MLB fans in splits as Steven Kwan makes incredible play during Guardians vs Tigers showdown 

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan made a spectacular diving catch in a clutch situation to keep the scores tied in their American League Division Series clash against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. However, not everyone is convinced that it was a completely clean take from the Guardians, even though the on-field decision was sustained following a video review by the Tigers.

The incident sparked hot debates among MLB fans on social media as to whether Kwan actually made the catch.

The scores remained tied 0-0 at the start of the eighth inning in Game 2 of the ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians. Right-handed reliever Hunter Gaddis gave up a double to Matt Vierling before getting the second out of the inning and handing an intentional walk to Riley Greene before exiting the game.

Wenceel Perez was the next batter up for the Tigers, while the Guardians brought their elite closer Emmanuel Clase to the mound for a four-out assignment. Perez came through in the battle against Clase and struck a line drive out to left field. However, Steven Kwan came running in to make a diving catch just before the ball hit the ground to prevent a go-ahead run.

The batter was deemed out, although it was an incredibly close call, as the Tigers subsequently challenged the decision, which ended the inning. Even the video footage seemed to provide no conclusive evidence if Kwan had indeed grabbed the ball cleanly, but the Guardians eventually retained the on-field decision. Nevertheless, the incident has ignited a raging debate on X/Twitter.

Some fans believe the video umpires did not make the right call:

"It hit the ground," claimed on fan.

"Not a catch," said another fan.

"I thought it hit the ground… what a close play," commented another fan.

However, the wider consensus seems to believe that Steven Kwan grabbed the ball cleanly before it touched the grass:

"This is somehow all glove," posted one fan.

"What a grab by Kwan!," exclaimed another fan.

"It doesn’t get much better than that," wrote another fan.

Although the disputed catch was a crucial moment in the game at the time, it turned out to be inconsequential in the end. Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer off Clase in the ninth inning to help the Tigers beat the Guardians 3-0 and level the ALDS at one win apiece.

Steven Kwan in line for third straight Gold Glove

Steven Kwan made his first All-Star Team this season (Image Credit: IMAGN)

Steven Kwan has taken another step forward in his career during his third season with the Guardians, after finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022. This year, Kwan earned his maiden call-up to the All-Star Game before finishing the season with a .292/.368/.425 slash line, a 126 OPS+ and a career-high 14 home runs despite playing just 122 games in the regular season.

Moreover, Kwan is building up a strong postseason record as well. He has batted .297/.366/.432 in nine playoff games thus far, with 11 hits, including one home run. At the same time, he is an elite defender, and making clutch plays like his diving catch in Game 2 of the ALDS which could hand him a third straight Gold Glove.