Twins Star Set to Play in the World Baseball Classic

This spring, Major League Baseball will take a back seat as the World Baseball Classic takes center stage. Scheduled for March during Spring Training, baseball stars from around the globe will compete in what has become a must-watch event. The Minnesota Twins will be represented once again.

The last tournament featured a thrilling championship matchup between Team USA and Japan. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the most unforgettable moments in baseball history, with Japan ultimately taking home the trophy. This year, Team USA will look to exact revenge, and Byron Buxton will be part of that charge.

Byron Buxton on Team USA’s WBC roster

Byron Buxton is coming off the best season of his career. Not only did he stay healthy, but he was also highly productive. With no limitations this offseason, he’ll prepare for the regular season by competing on baseball’s international stage.

Byron Buxton is part of Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, sources told me here at the Winter Meetings.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 8, 2025

Although USA Baseball has not yet made the announcement official, BBWAA writer Francys Romero has reported that Buxton has made the preliminary roster. A cutdown from 35 to the final 30-man roster will take place in February. This will be Buxton’s first time competing in a national event since turning pro, which isn’t surprising given his past injury history.

In 2025 Buxton batted .264/.327/.551 for the Minnesota Twins. His 35 home runs were a career high, and he stole 24 bases without being caught. While he may not be the same elite center fielder at age 31, he still posted three outs above average (OAA) last season.

The Twins have to be ecstatic that Buxton feels healthy and confident enough to compete. At the same time, they’ll be hoping no issues arise from an earlier ramp-up than usual.

During the Winter Meetings, the Twins signaled that they have no plans to trade Buxton or their other stay players and instead look to add to the roster. Whether new minority partners will infuse the franchise with additional cash flow remains to be seen.

Carlos Correa to play for Puerto Rico

It was assumed that Carlos Correa would play a long time with the MN Twins. Instead he wound up being injured and ineffective before being sent back to Houston in a salary dump. Now a third baseman, he is going to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic this spring.

Team Puerto Rico manager Carlos Beltrán said Carlos Correa is on his initial WBC roster: "We're counting on Carlos. I don't see us without Carlos on our roster or on our team."

Beltrán said he "loves" that Correa has moved to third base and he'd play there in the WBC.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 9, 2025

Correa posted just a .267/.319/.386 slash line with the Twins last season. Even a slight bump in production with Houston resulted in just a 103 OPS+. He has dealt with nagging plantar fasciitis issues the past two seasons, and typical aging is part of the equation too.

Now expected to be the Astros Opening Day third baseman, it is somewhat interesting that Houston has greenlit Correa playing in the exhibition series. At any rate, the World Baseball Classic kicks off in March and the former Minnesota Twins infielder will be there.