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.

When evaluating the roster, the bullpen stands out as the most significant area of need for Derek Shelton’s club. The infield, however, is in relatively stable shape, and Jorge Polanco’s time in Minnesota is long past. Still, the former Twins infielder is drawing interest elsewhere and may be nearing a decision soon.

Jorge Polanco Looking to Parlay Postseason Success Into New Contract

It has been several years since the Minnesota Twins traded Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners. After a disappointing first season in Seattle, he rebounded in 2025 and shined in the postseason. Now seeking a new deal, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers believes an agreement could come this week.

Free agent second baseman Jorge Polanco, coming off a strong 2025 season with the Seattle Mariners, is expected to sign with a team during the winter meetings.

ESPN

Last season, Polanco played 138 games for the Mariners, posting a .265/.326/.495 slash line and a 134 OPS+, a dramatic improvement from his 92 OPS+ in 2024. He carried that momentum into October, homering twice off lefty Tarik Skubal during the playoffs.

Polanco completed the contract extension he originally signed with the Twins and re-upped with Seattle last offseason. He earned $7 million in 2025 before opting out of his potential 2026 deal.

Now 32, Polanco is likely looking at his final opportunity to secure a multi-year contract. While his injury history may limit the length, a two- or three-year pact remains realistic.

Can Byron Buxton Shake Things Up for the MN Twins?

Polanco isn’t the only name to watch this week. The Winter Meetings often spark significant movement, and Byron Buxton could be one of the biggest storylines. Buxton has expressed willingness to waive his no-trade clause if the Twins do not plan to contend. ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle even labeled him the biggest potential name on the move.

The inclusion of Byron Buxton on our trade candidates ranking took me aback, mostly because Buxton has been insistent that he will remain a Twin. It’s surprising that he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause, but Buxton is 31, and the Twins don’t seem all-in on winning. Several leading contenders could use a bump in center field — the Houston Astros and New York Mets jump out as clear fits — and if the Twins are heading down this road, dealing Buxton soon would start those dominoes to fall.

ESPN

The New York Mets continue to surface as a prominent suitor for Buxton, and they have also shown interest in starter Joe Ryan. Even though the Twins have publicly stated they don’t intend to trade their stars, that doesn’t mean other teams, or people inside the industry, believe them.

It would be stunning if Buxton’s tenure in Minnesota ended this week. Then again, very little the franchise has done in recent seasons has made much sense.

Because the organization’s debt problems continue to pile up — reportedly as high as $500 million by most recent reports — and they have not been able to officially announce the new minority partners brought in to help pay that debt down, those inside the organization have been absolutely silent on their future plans.

When pressed by media, team president Derek Falvey made it clear that he cannot reveal a plan that he does not have. In the last few weeks, however, Falvey and Joe Pohlad have pointed to the upcoming MLB Winter Meetings, as the moment in which we will all get more clarity.

In the meantime, reports have been running amuck throughout the league suggesting that, in the end, the Pohlads will opt to finish what they started back in July, and tear down this roster even beyond the foundation.

Most recently, reports at ESPN (Jeff Passan) and USA Today Sports (Bob Nightengale) believed Minnesota’s financial struggles were going to force them into trading a combination of Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez.

Minnesota Twins won’t trade their stars this offseason

But with the Winter Meetings finally upon us, there’s been a sudden change in reporting, when it comes to the MN Twins’ offseason and their plans for the future. As of Friday, according to Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic), the Twins are NOT trading Ryan, Buxton or Lopez.

Instead, the trusted insider writes… “Minnesota’s goal is to keep those players and build around them to compete in 2026.” If you are a Twins fan, hopefully you were sitting down when you clicked on this.

All those fans waiting for their teams to acquire one of the Minnesota Twins’ stars probably can forget it.

The Twins do not anticipate moving center fielder Byron Buxton or right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo López, according to league sources briefed on their plans. Minnesota’s goal is to keep those players, build around them and compete in 2026.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

Related: ESPN Floats Byron Buxton to MLB’s Anti-Twins

Obviously, continuing to deconstruct the roster would be catastrophic for the Minnesota Twins’ chances to win anytime in the near future. But even worse than that for ownership, dealing any of those three players would have sent ticket and Twins.TV subscription sales plummeting even lower than they currently are.

The only explanation for these sudden winds of change is that the Pohlads’ mysterious new minority partners are on the brink of being approved this weekend, which is why those in charge have been pointing to the Winter Meetings for answers.

Twins looking to add more talent……?

In essence, they did not want to fully count their minority owners before they were officially approved. Now that they have been able to count votes down in Florida, Falvey, Pohlad and everyone else at the top of the Twins’ food chain feels confident enough to put out the good news that fans so desperately need.

But wait… there’s more. Not only are the MN Twins not trading their best players, but they reportedly have “mild flexibility” to make additions beyond what the talent already on roster.

Finances presumably remain an issue, but trades of players such as Ryan and Buxton would further alienate the fan base. Club officials believe the team is talented enough to compete in the AL Central, one of baseball’s weaker divisions. They recently hired a new manager, Derek Shelton. And now that they have clarity from ownership, they believe they have “mild flexibility” to make additions.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

We’ll see exactly what “mild flexibility” means soon enough, and there is no doubt they will need to get better in the bullpen and at the plate, if they want to realistically compete for an AL Playoff spot in 2026, as they claim.

Even without a lot of specificity, however, this is a MASSIVE change in tone from what we we’ve been hearing from these same reporters over the past few months. That’s a good thing

While the rest of the league is moving and grooving, already signing free agents and making trades, the Minnesota Twins have mostly been watching from the sidelines. If they want to jump in the frey with any sort of aggressiveness, it needs to happen sooner than later.

Minnesota traded Carlos Correa in a pure salary dump. They are apparently exploring a move of Joe Ryan in effort to clear more of the Pohlads debt. A further way to do that would be dealing Byron Buxton, and he should have no shortage of suitors if that winds up happening.

New York Mets could come for Byron Buxton

It seemed like a possibility that the Byron Buxton could waive his no trade clause if the Atlanta Braves came calling. Instead if looks like the Minnesota Twins trying to destroy his loyalty, and Buxton may simply want to go anywhere that cares. The New York Mets are basically the opposite of Minnesota and ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle sees the fit.

The Mets need at least one everyday outfielder, so Tucker and Bellinger make sense. If the Twins are willing to part with Byron Buxton, he would look good in center field.

Bradford Doolittle – ESPN

Minnesota signed Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million contract. The Pohlads lucked out and didn’t owe him millions in incentives after he inexplicably finished outside the top ten in MVP voting. He is still owed north of $15 million each of the next three seasons, and the Twins would love to see someone else pay that.

Buxton will be 32 years old next season. However, he played 126 games in 2025 and posted a .264/.327/.551 slash line. His 35 home runs were a career-high, and he swiped 24 bags without being thrown out as well.

Top Plays of 2025: No. 53

Byron Buxton records the first @Twins cycle since 2019 and the first cycle at Target Field! pic.twitter.com/x4RWPNIMpf

— MLB (@MLB) November 25, 2025

New York has the firepower to get a deal done as well. Steve Cohen certainly doesn’t care about adding to the payroll, and their prospect pool is robust. Pitchers Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat could all be of interest to the Minnesota Twins. Hitters Carson Benge and Jett Williams are near-MLB ready as well.

It would be extremely disheartening to see the Twins basically force a fan-favorite that wants to be here out. They seem destined to do it though, so understanding that it may happen is a reality we need to wrestle with.

For Twins fans, that is a huge problem. For the rest of Major League Baseball, it makes them one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on this winter.

Growing concern the Minnesota Twins will continue teardown

Of course, what happened at the deadline was just a continuation of the Twins’ ongoing tailspin since last making the playoffs in 2023. It was that historic run the Pohlads rewarded by mandating a $30 million reduction in player payroll that offseason.

And SURPRISE, there is growing concern that MN Twins ownership could be aiming to keep next year’s payroll below $100 million. If that is indeed the case, EVERYONE knows the first place Falvey & Co. will turn to start unloading talent.

There’s really only one strength left on Minnesota’s big league roster, and it’s the starting rotation, both Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez has serious MLB organizations salivating at idea of adding such high-end pitchers to the front of their staff.

But right next to Joe and Pablo, when it comes to both talent and offseason intrigue… Byron Buxton, who has a full no-trade clause that he has been very adamant about not waiving, up until very recently. Because, even the most loyal people have their limits.

Byron Buxton open to waiving no-trade clause for multiple teams

As we get further along in the offseason process, however, it appears even more clear that Buck is growing increasingly open to a trade out of Minnesota. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Byron Buxton would now waive his no-trade clause for multiple different teams.

Buxton is willing to waive his no-trade clause — and not just for Atlanta (he’s a Georgia native) — which puts the Twins in an interesting position. If the paucity of frontline free agent outfielders prompts a team to make an offer for Buxton, how seriously would Minnesota take it? And if Buxton goes, does that mean the Twins would be open to dealing some of their pitching, too? The Twins are one of the most fascinating teams this winter because of the possibilities at their disposal.

Jeff Passan – ESPN

Related: Two Ridiculous Trades Proposed for MN Twins

Coming off the best season of his career, this is certainly an opportunity for the Twins to sell high on Buxton. The goal would be to shed his roughly $45 million in future payroll commitments.

Buxton’s been absolute in his refusal to leave Minnesota, until recently, when some rumors surfaced that he’d be open to a trade back home to Atlanta. The fact that he’s widening his list of possibilities cannot be a good sign, regarding what he’s being told behind the scenes about the Twins’ future plans.

Trading Byron Buxton could make sense if MN Twins aren’t trying to win…

In 126 games last season Buxton batted .264/.327/.551 with 35 home runs and 24 steals. He was both healthy and effective, while still showing off the power and speed combination. He isn’t quite the same defensive stalwart, but Buck remains above average.

Top Plays of 2025: No. 53

Byron Buxton records the first @Twins cycle since 2019 and the first cycle at Target Field! pic.twitter.com/x4RWPNIMpf

— MLB (@MLB) November 25, 2025

At the end of the day, the Minnesota Twins have to decide what their direction looks like for 2026. Filling the roster with Ryan Kreidler and Eric Orze types won’t give new manager Derek Shelton much of a chance to compete.

If they aren’t going to, then stars like Buxton, Lopez, and Joe Ryan are very valuable as trade chips. It’s a really sad reality that we are even having these conversations, but that’s life as a Minnesota Twins fan as long as the Pohlads own the team.

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince recently floated what he calls ridiculous trades, two of which involved the Twins. While hypothetical, they spotlight the type of bold moves a rebuilding Twins team might entertain.

Byron Buxton on the move for Minnesota

No player has more publicly committed to staying in Minnesota than Byron Buxton. Yet the Twins’ apparent willingness to drift into non-competitiveness could push the star out the door. While the Atlanta Braves would make sense for the Georgia native, Castrovince instead proposes a three-team deal that ends with Buxton in Cincinnati, pending his approval of a no-trade clause he has historically guarded closely.

3) The Bux moves here

Reds get: OF Byron Buxton

Astros get: RHP Brady Singer

Twins get: SS Tyson Lewis (Reds’ No. 3 prospect), OF Mason Neville (Reds’ No. 13 prospect), C Walker Janek (Astros’ No. 4 prospect), RHP Cole Hertzler (Astros’ No. 29 prospect)

Buxton declared himself “a Minnesota Twin for life” last summer, though it has been reported that he might reconsider if the teardown we saw at the Trade Deadline continues. (Buxton has a full no-trade clause, complicating any deal. Again, even fake ones.)

Here, to fulfill my duty to trade as many stars as possible, I’m operating on the assumption that the Minnesota rebuild does continue, even though that might not necessarily be the case.

Buxton would be perfect for a Reds team that could use its pitching depth to address a lineup in need. At roughly $15 million each of the next three seasons, he likely fits their payroll in ways the most prominent free-agent bats do not.

MLB.com

Buxton waiving his no-trade clause to go to Cincinnati seems unlikely. He’s coming off the best season of his career and an 11th-place MVP finish. While the Reds are trending upward and make sense as a team looking to add impact talent, it’s hard to imagine Buxton approving that destination.

Houston, meanwhile, needs pitching help, and Singer is a post-hype arm who could benefit from landing in a stronger developmental environment. No matter how you look at it, there are some big-name pieces moving around in this scenario.

The Twins owe Buxton just over $15 million this season, making his contract the second-highest on the roster behind Pablo López. Clearing that salary in exchange for a haul of pre-arbitration talent would certainly appeal to ownership.

The Joe Ryan deal gets done too

At the trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins executed a selloff of epic proportions. They flirted with moving Joe Ryan but ultimately backed away. Still, that can of worms has already been opened, and it’s difficult to put the lid back on. Jarren Duran was part of the talks then and remains part of the equation now.

4) Call it a mini (Minny?) Mookie trade

Dodgers get: OF Jarren Duran

Red Sox get: RHP Joe Ryan

Twins get: OF Zyhir Hope (Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect), LHP Jackson Ferris (Dodgers’ No. 6 prospect), 3B Chase Harlan (Dodgers’ No. 18 prospect), RHP Marcus Phillips (Red Sox’s No. 11 prospect)

Well, if we’re going to design a rebuilding plan for the Twins, we might as well keep going. This trade reunites the three teams that conspired on the dual 2020 deals that ultimately brought Mookie Betts to the Dodgers.

I had this fake trade sketched out prior to Boston’s deal for Sonny Gray – a trade that improved their rotation but still leaves them in need of a Dude behind Garrett Crochet. The Sox get one here in Ryan, who is under control through 2027 and coming off an All-Star season in which he had a 125 ERA+ (25% better than league average) in 171 innings.

Given that control, maybe Duran would appeal to the Twins, but, again, we’re operating under the assumption that they’d be going with a full-scale youth movement here.

The Twins get another bounty of prospects here for what would instantly be one of the strongest systems in the sport.

MLB.com

Short of prospects like Roman Anthony or Marcelo Mayer, the Twins likely have little interest in the Red Sox’s big-league talent. As Castrovince notes, leaning into a rebuild makes sense.

Minnesota’s farm system is already strong, and adding this much prospect talent would easily make it one of the best in baseball. Developing the crop will take time, but this is how you build a new core.

Ultimately, neither of these trades seems likely for Minnesota. That said, the team should be expected to make some controversial moves this offseason, most of which will probably involve players leaving rather than talent coming in.

Because Byron Buxton has had an injury-plagued career prior to his contract extension, he bet on himself and baked in multiple achievable incentives. Having just completed the best season of his career, MVP votes were sure to come in. Unfortunately they fell short of a payday.

11th place MVP finish costs MN Twins superstar

After a 5.0 fWAR season, and 126 games resulting in a 136 OPS+, award season became something to watch for Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton. He picked up his first Silver Slugger, but his 11th place MVP finish put him short of another payday.

Of course the most notable thing that stands out here is the 17-to-13 first-place finish in favor of Judge over Raleigh. Yes, the outfielder’s 10.1 fWAR trumped the catchers 9.1 fWAR this season. However, Raleigh posted 60 home runs, did it as a switch hitter, and also was a constant behind the plate.

In Twins Territory though, it’s the snub of Byron Buxton that hurts. He has previously finished 18th and 16th in MVP voting, so this is a jump. A 10th place finish would have earned him an additional $3 million this season due to contract incentives. No one is likely celebrating that not coming to fruition more than the Pohlads.

Named on 14-of-30 ballots, Buxton finished just two points shy of 10th place. He had the 9th highest fWAR among hitters this season across the American League, and cleared Rays rookie Junior Caminero. Caminero hit 45 home runs to Buxton’s 35, and the Astros Jeremy Pena finished with 5.7 fWAR.

THE HOME RUN THAT COMPLETED BYRON BUXTON'S CYCLE!!!! pic.twitter.com/bhFUoSYDaT

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 12, 2025

BBWAA member Manolo Hernández-Douen of beisbolporgotas (San Francisco coverage) was the difference after inexplicably handing Caminero a third place vote. Not one of the other 29 voters had Caminero above sixth. Buxton earned three seventh-place votes, while all of Pena’s votes fell in the 8th-10th range.

Buxton’s three seventh-place votes came from Houston writer Chandler Rome, as well as Minnesota writers Betsy Helfand and Phil Miller. He did not earn votes from the Baltimore, Boston (Peter Abraham), Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Angels), Seattle, Tampa Bay, or Toronto (Keegan Matheson) contingent.

What the Twins do with Byron Buxton this offseason remains to be seen. He has made it clear he wants to stay in Minnesota. The Pohlads and Derek Falvey seem to be trying their luck to see how far they can test his loyalty.

But if the 2012 No. 2 overall draft pick taught us anything this season, it was that he’s more than capable of reaching the same heights as the aforementioned MN Twins legends, whose names will FAR outlive their physical time in this town.

In 2025, Buck stepped to the plate a career-high 542 times, batting .264 with 35 home runs, 83 RBI, 97 runs scored, 24 stolen bases — proving to everyone (including himself) that the Platinum Glove winner still has plenty of really good baseball left in him, if he can stay healthy.

Byron Buxton changing his commitment status with MN Twins?

Of course, given his injury history, that is FAR from guaranteed. The Twins have stuck by Byron Buxton throughout a career ravaged by a variety of different ailments. In return, he signed a team-friendly long-term deal and (essentially) vowed to never leave.

Meanwhile, rumors that the Minnesota Twins could continue their roster deconstruction — which reached fever pitch at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline — have been running amuck for months, mostly because the team has been so hush hush about its plans for the offseason.

But if the Twins really have no interest in winning anymore, it sounds like Byron Buxton’s losing interest in his diehard commitment to Minnesota. Because according to Dan Hayes (The Athletic) Buxton is now warming up to the thought of being traded, if more selling is the plan this offseason.

…a major-league source indicated Tuesday that Buxton, who turns 32 next month, wants to play for a winner and may reconsider his stance for certain clubs if the Twins continue breaking up their roster, potentially by trading starting pitchers Joe Ryan or Pablo López.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

In the years since signing his extension (Dec, 2021), Buck’s availability on game days has wavered, but his commitment to Minnesota has not. Even at the 2025 All-Star Game, Byron was asked by reporters if he would wave his no-trade clause to join a winning team.

But yet again, with every GM in baseball watching, Byron Buxton showed absolutely ZERO interest in leaving the organization that drafted him in the first round out of high school, over a decade ago. Of course, every man has his limits.

Byron Buxton in the dark just like Minnesota Twins front office

Yesterday, thanks to Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic), we found out why. It’s because team president Derek Falvey doesn’t know how much money the Pohlads are going to allow him to spend yet, as they wait for the new minority owners to be approved by the MLB.

If that happens by December, like the Twins hope, then it could save the Minnesota Twins as we currently know them, Buxton included. Unfortunately, we do not know whether or not they will be approved at the Winter Meetings OR if their eventual approval will actually inject any money into the player budget for 2026.

At 31-years-old, not only was 2025 far and away Byron’s most productive season individually, but his most important metrics — .878 OPS, 136 OPS+ and 4.9 bWAR — all ranked top 15 in Major League Baseball.

At age 31 we finally got a “mostly” healthy Byron Buxton and I think it went under the radar how good it was

.264/.327/.551
.367 wOBA (Led CF)
5.0 fWAR (3rd in CF)
136 wRC+ (Led CF)
35 HR (2nd in CF)
83 RBI
24 SB

What will the next 3 years of Byron Buxton as a Twin look like!? https://t.co/AYw148tPAp pic.twitter.com/aXn0krmoUg

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) November 10, 2025

Related: MN Twins Hire Big Name Assistant Coach

If we assume (just for a moment) that Byron Buxton does play another seven or eight relatively healthy seasons (500 AB/YR), he would finish his career with ~1,000 less plate appearances than Kirby Puckett (7,831).

Puck was a walking tank before that fatal spring morning in 1996, stepping to the dish over 600 times in all but two of his 12 big league seasons. But Buck has already accumulated nearly 3/5 the career bWAR (29.8) of his predecessor, who retired with a 51.1 bWAR.

Buxton’s greatness being held back by Pohlads

But there is another elephant in this room that needs to be mentioned. Beyond injuries, Byron Buxton is being held back by the Minnesota Twins’ sudden unwillingness to build a decent team around him. Puckett’s issues with the Pohlads are well documented.

Still, money was much less of a factor in team-building back then, which allowed Kirby to play on some of the best rosters in MN Twins history. Meanwhile, now that he is finally able to stay healthy, the Twins have shown signs of ripping the roster apart in front of Byron Buxton’s eyes.

Though the Twins refuse to say the word “rebuild” even after trading away Carlos Correa in a salary dump in late July, as well as most of their bullpen, opposing GMs clearly sense the club is in a precarious state as Falvey and Co. wade through the murky waters created by ownership’s potential cost-cutting measures.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

Thus far, he has remained the most loyal star in Minnesota sports history, short of Kevin Garnett. But if the Pohlad family is going to force Falvey to trade Joe Ryan and/or Pablo Lopez, then much like KG, no fan in this town would blame him for doing what we cannot and bailing on an ever-sinking organization.

Named an All-Star and Home Run Derby participant, the Atlanta native went home for the midsummer classic. He continued to terrorize opposing pitchers all season, and on Friday night, was recognized for his offensive prowess.

Silver Slugger Award bestowed upon Byron Buxton

Once a slap-hitting speedster, Byron Buxton has become one of the most prolific hitters in the game. His 35 home runs in 2025 were a career-high, and he carried a .551 slugging percentage. While Aaron Judge was always going to win a Silver Slugger, Buxton claimed one of the other two spots as well.

Byron Buxton wins an American League Silver Slugger Award in the outfield. pic.twitter.com/QK5YBFyjJT

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 7, 2025

Across 126 games Buxton batted .264/.327/.551 with 21 doubles, seven triples, and the 35 dingers. He scored a career-best 97 runs and was a perfect 24-for-24 on stolen base attempts.

His 5.0 fWAR was a career-high as well, but the offense didn’t detract from the defense. While the DRS (defensive runs saved) checked in at -5, he was valued at 3 OAA (outs above average) and 2 FRV (fielding runs value).

He's got Gold. He's got Platinum.

It was only right he added some Silver!!! pic.twitter.com/bxSvB3o3OT

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 7, 2025

Buxton played 973 innings in centerfield this year, and was truly a five-tool player once again. This is the level of superstar that the Minnesota Twins have constantly hoped to see Buxton operate as.

In the midst of a seven-year, $100 million contract extension, Buxton provided $40.1 million worth of value this year alone. He continues to be on one of the most economical deals across the sport due to his injury history. The only question this offseason is whether the Twins will force him out by actively working against a desire to compete.

The Silver Slugger Award completes a trio of precious metals for the Twins superstar. Pair with his Platinum and Gold Gloves, he has now done it all.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene picked up the other American League Silver Slugger Award, giving the AL Central two-of-three winners in the outfield. Buxton being named a winner could have gotten dicey with four American League outfielders worth, but George Springer got the nod at designated hitter to remove any complications.

Not everyone involved deserves to be tied to that definition. In fact, Byron Buxton just produced the best season of his career, and he’ll earn top-ten MVP consideration for his efforts. That’s not the only award he’s in play for either.

Byron Buxton named a Silver Slugger finalist

For the first time in his major league career, Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton put up a 5.0 fWAR season. That’s going to garner him MVP attention, but it has also landed him a spot as a Silver Slugger finalist.

Your American League Silver Slugger finalists are here!
Tune in Nov. 7 to The Baseball Insiders LIVE on YouTube to learn the winners! @sluggernation pic.twitter.com/fJBGINs9Mp

— FanSided (@FanSided) October 23, 2025

Winners won’t be announced until November 7th, but Buxton is among six outfielders vying for three spots to claim the award. In 126 games this season, he batted .264/.327/.551 with 35 home runs and seven triples. Both the triples and dingers represent career-high marks, and his 136 OPS+ was just one point shy of his 2024 tally.

Among finalists, Buxton’s 35 home runs trailed only Aaron Judge (53) and Riley Greene (36). His .878 OPS was behind Judge (1.144) and Springer (.959), but his 24 stolen bases were second behind only Rodriguez (30). By fWAR, he finished fourth behind Judge (10.1), Rodriguez (5.7), and Springer (5.2).

It’s certainly not a lock that Buxton will win his first Silver Slugger award. However, it’s a definite possibility, and it would deviate from his trophy case thus far. An elite defender, Buxton has already picked up both a Platinum and Gold Glove. He is a two-time All-Star, making the team again this past summer, but his offensive prowess rose to new heights.

BYRON BUXTON HOMERS TO COMPLETE THE CYCLE

ON HIS BOBBLEHEAD DAY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fCbjgzRUzd

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025

Minnesota’s last Silver Slugger recipient came in 2020 when Nelson Cruz won the award. Mitch Garver and Cruz both picked one up in 2019, and prior to that it had been a drought since Joe Mauer won in 2010.

Buxton was a bright spot in the darkness that was the 2025 Minnesota Twins season. Assuming the franchise doesn’t force him out this winter, he’ll be a significant building block for whoever is named the next manager.