Could Byron Buxton Follow a Career Path Similar to Torii Hunter?

[Cody Christie]

Byron Buxton is coming off a resurgent season, but it’s never too early to look ahead. Father Time is undefeated, and Buxton must adjust his style in the coming years.

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Byron Buxton has become one of the most electrifying players in recent Twins memory, captivating fans with his speed, power, and defensive prowess. But as he ages, Buxton will need to modify his game to stay effective, and he wouldn’t be the first Twins center fielder to make these adjustments. Torii Hunter, one of Minnesota’s iconic players, redefined his own game over time, shifting his role to keep contributing well into his 30s. If Buxton follows a similar path, it could extend his career and secure his place as a cornerstone in the lineup. Maybe it would even lend him a newfound ability to stay in the lineup on more than a semi-regular basis.

Moving from Center Field to the Corners
Hunter, like Buxton, was known for his acrobatic catches and range in center field. But by his early 30s, Hunter saw his defensive capabilities deteriorate, and he eventually moved to right field to preserve his legs and better serve his team. Buxton’s elite defense in center field has been one of his most significant contributions. Still, injuries have impacted his ability to stay on the field, prompting the team to use him exclusively as a designated hitter during the 2023 season. In 2024, he primarily played in center again, but his defense was noticeably worse than in the past.

If Buxton can transition to a corner outfield spot, could he reduce the risk of injury while still providing defensive value? Like Hunter, Buxton has the arm strength to handle either right or left field. A corner spot could allow him to play more regularly, while offering the Twins an experienced glove and a potent bat in that position. With younger prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez potentially ready to contribute in center, Buxton’s transition to a corner role could come sooner rather than later, especially if it means he can continue to impact the lineup over a full season.

Evolving as a Hitter
Hunter entered the big leagues as a free swinger, known for his pop and aggressiveness at the plate. However, as his career progressed, he learned to adjust, improve his plate discipline, and focus more on being selective. The result was a hitter who could still deliver power, but with improved on-base skills. As Hunter entered his 30s, he put up some of his best offensive seasons by prioritizing quality at-bats over sheer slugging. After walking in 6.4% of his plate appearances in his 20s, that number surged to 8.3% from ages 30-35. From his age 33-37 seasons, he hit .291/.350/.462, a 123 OPS+. In that five-year span, he posted three seasons with a .299 or higher batting average. 

For Buxton, a similar approach could be transformative. He’s evolved into more of a power hitter, but that approach has downsides, particularly regarding contact rate and chasing pitches. Buxton’s swing has become more pull-oriented, and while he can still turn on inside pitches with authority, pitchers have exploited his willingness to chase outside of the zone. He’s had a career 28.9 K%, but he posted a career-best 10.1 BB% last season. He could add another dimension to his game by focusing on discipline and working counts, as Hunter did at the same age.

The Twins’ coaching staff could be instrumental here, with Matt Borgschulte at the helm as the hitting coach. Buxton has the tools to be a patient power hitter, and a shift in approach could keep him productive even as his speed (and bat speed) naturally decline. Following Hunter’s example in this area would help Buxton remain a middle-of-the-order threat, regardless of how his power numbers fluctuate.

Managing Loss of Speed
Hunter, known for his stolen bases and agility in his early years, eventually slowed down. Rather than letting that diminish his value, he refined his baserunning instincts, picking his spots and utilizing his experience. From 2010-11, Hunter combined for over -11 BsR, but he improved in the next two seasons to a 5.8 BsR in his late 30s. Buxton’s speed on the basepaths has always been a weapon, whether he’s stealing bases or stretching singles into doubles. But age and injuries have gradually slowed him down, making it harder for him to rely solely on speed as he has in the past.

Instead, Buxton could adjust by focusing on high-probability stolen base opportunities and using his baserunning intelligence to stay valuable on the bases. Speed will likely remain an asset for Buxton for several more seasons. Still, as Hunter eventually modified his game to be more efficient rather than explosive, Buxton may benefit from preserving his legs by being selective with his opportunities.

A Prolonged Career in Minnesota
Hunter extended his career by adapting his game, which helped him play through his late 30s as a productive outfielder. Buxton has shown glimpses of being a franchise-defining player, and with his recent contract extension, Minnesota is committed to him for the long haul. For Buxton, the move from center to a corner spot, an increased focus on plate discipline, and refining his baserunning are all avenues that could help him carve out a path to longevity.

Fans have come to expect highlight-reel catches and electrifying plays from Buxton, but as Hunter showed, there are other ways to make an impact. If Buxton can adjust, he could blaze a new trail for the next generation of Twins outfielders looking to define themselves as complete, well-rounded players.

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In what ways should Buxton modify his game to match Hunter? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[bean5302]

Buxton still has elite speed, and a cannon arm. It's worth noting how defensive metrics are not reliable in a single season, let alone partial seasons when forming an opinion like moving a guy off a position. Last year the component which held him back in terms of defensive value was reaction time which isn't terribly surprising after barely playing in the outfield for a year and a half prior. Buxton will rebound in defensive value, and so long as his speed remains 28.5 ft/sec plus, he's going to be the primary CF.

Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez are next in line for potential CF's, but neither one of them have plus speed, and I don't think analysts were bullish on either sticking in CF to the best of my knowledge. They're fringy, maybe they can handle CF guys. They're not going to be plus CF's. DaShawn Keirsey has his advocates, but stats don't paint a bullish picture to me atm, though what I have to work with is very limited. Keirsey could be a once in a blue moon late career surprise. It sure would be great if I were dead wrong about him, haha.

Buxton did try to increase his walk rate in 2022 and 2023 with some mixed results. There's so much noise in Buxton's ever changing approach at the plate that it's difficult to figure out which way he'll go the next year. Also, Buxton can hardly be described as an aggressive swinger at the plate. His career O-Swing rate is 30.9%, but between 2021-2023, it was only 28.1%, which would be better than average last year among hitters with 300+ PA, but his 2024 results were decidedly a bit wild at 33.1% (bottom 24% or so). He's a totally different hitter than Hunter, who played in a different era.

I think Buxton's ceiling has already come and gone. He's a streaky hitter, and he's unlike Hunter in that Buxton has clear strengths and weaknesses against certain pitch types while Hunter was pretty steady across the board. Hunter also played in a different era of baseball where average FB velo was shifting dramatically. As fastballs sped up and Hunter got older and slower, he changed his approach because he had to. I don't think Buxton is there yet.

[HerbieFan]

I LOVE this idea.  There is some truth that a 4th OF could be added.  Would it make sense to add a guy who can share CF with Buxton?  Allow Buck to play LF or RF 60 games and CF 60 games?  It would buy another year for Rodriguez to develop.  Then maybe in 2026 you make him your regular RF or LF.

[old nurse]

Hunter for his career had only 2 seasons where he played in less than 100 games. Buxton has played in over 100 games twice. Buxton moving to a corner would not change the trend of Buxton’s playing time 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

7 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Hunter for his career had only 2 seasons where he played in less than 100 games. Buxton has played in over 100 games twice. Buxton moving to a corner would not change the trend of Buxton’s playing time 

THIS.

And Hunter's years of less than 100 games were 99 and 98.  Hunter was basically always healthy.  The comparison really ends there.  He had a very long productive career and wound up with 50 WAR.   That doesn't quite put him in the HOF, but he certainly is in the hall of very good.  Although Buxton is halfway there, I would put my money on the under for him.  Even though his rate stats are good, I just can't imagine him staying healthy for enough games to accumulate those kinds of stats.

Much of Buxton's value as a player comes from his ability to play plus defense in CF.  Moving him to the corners makes him less valuable by definition, AND his offensive numbers don't hold up as well in those spots.  Hunter was an unusual player in that he was a better hitter from age 31 to 36 than he was from 25 to 30.  That made his offensive numbers hold up well in the corner spot even though he didn't move to the corner until fairly late in his career. 

[Doctor Gast]

Adjusting is the name of the game, & the game will dictate how you adjust. IMO the game has shown that he needs to adapt his baserunning. I agree that Buxton needs to learn to adjust his hitting. Buxton has made adjustments in CF to keep him there but he is still elite in CF. Being still elite it's not time for him to move off CF, CF is where we can get the most value from him. IMO Buxton should stick in CF because he's the best & can outplay  Emma & Walker there for the remainder of his career. Right now I can see Emma good enough subbing Buxton in CF but not good enough to replace him. I have my doubts that Walker can logically stick at CF or even how long Emma can.

[Jim wyllie]

I'd say this might work, however given he just had o e of his better years and where the twins are payroll wise I would say now is the best time to trade him.   Buxton is closer to a michael Brantley lite than torre hunter.  With his health concerns a trade now is the twins best option 

[Doctor Wu]

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

I have my doubts that Walker can logically stick at CF or even how long Emma can.

I agree with both you and Bean5302; neither Walker nor Rodriguez truly profiles as a plus Center Fielder. They both certainly seem capable of doing the job if needed, but probably not their ideal position. In the meantime, I'm sure we'll still see Buxton patrolling CF for a couple of more years at least, of course with his fragile body permitting. 

[CRF]

Tell you what...I'd take Torii over Buxton any day of the week and twice on Sunday! Go ahead...give me all the thumbs down you want, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

[dxpavelka]

While I have concerns about the long term viability of Jenkins or Rodriguez in CF my greater concern is that a lifetime of watching baseball and knowing the the history of the Twins and MLB in general tells me that if you stack two can't miss prospects next to each other, one misses.

[LambchoP]

Much of Buxton's value comes from him playing CF at a very high level. Health is always going to be the question. He's going to K a lot and not walk at all. But if we can get 100+ games out of him we know what we'll probably get. A solid defender in CF and a good hitter that will help lengthen the lle lineup immensely. A.230-.270 BA, 15-25 HR and up to 75 RBIs. I'd love it if he'd try stealing bases again, but he hardly is ever on first base anyways, he could be close to the leaderboards in doubles IF he can play most of the year. We've got him for 4 more years. Keep him in center field where he belongs and get a good backup for him. Do whatever we can to keep him healthy and hit him in the middle of our order. He's one of the most fun players on the team to watch. Hoping for an all-star type year for Buck in '25!

[Fatbat]

Can Buck play another 7-8 yrs? He barely played the last 7 or 8. That either means he will be gone before we know it or he will be here forever if he finds a way to stay on the field. I would not bet on the latter, the dude is fragile and reckless.

[Reptevia]

No. Buxton has already missed the opportunity to equal Hunter’s career.   More on par with Shane Mack’s MLB career. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t been available enough and he’s not as good of a hitter. At this point, it is very unlikely he will improve. 

[Otaknam]

Hopefully Emmanuel Rodriquez, by all reports an elite defender, is ready to take over CF, allowing Buxton to move to right. But Buxton’s injuries aren’t always from playing defense. He gets injured swinging a bat, or running the bases, or sliding. The fact is he is injury prone and brittle, something all parties have to accept. I doubt moving him to right makes much of a difference injury wise.

[mrcharlie]

Stopped reading at the suggestion Buxton "could continue to have an impact over a full season.".  100 games does not make a full season.  He has played one full season I believe of 140+ games.  Yes a move to one of the corners is wise. If he were not so stubborn a move to preserve his body could have been done a few seasons ago. Start him in leftfield or right, and make a late defensive switch to center in tight ball games.

[DocBauer]

While Buxton might not be quite as elite in CF as he was a couple years ago, I thought he was just fine last season, and I watched a ton of games. 

Two things give me some optimism for Buck going in to 2025:

A] He's finally "slowed down" a bit and understands that his value is being in the lineup and not crashing in to walls or diving for almost impossible plays as much as he did in his youth.

B] Unless there's something going on we don't know about, his plica removal surgery really seemed to get his knee "right". (Don't understand why that wasn't done initially). His issue last year was a reoccurrence of a previous hip issue, caused by his knee injuries previously. Perhaps the hip issues will abate now that he's feeling, running, and moving better?

Absolutely not saying that's going to happen, but I have some hope/belief that he might avoid some of that previous issue and play at least a few more games in 2025. He will probably always need to be monitored and rested here and there, of course. But if his body cooperates just a little bit more the next couple of years, what a difference he could make at 120 games. 

I'm going to cross my fingers!

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, DocBauer said:

...B] Unless there's something going on we don't know about, his plica removal surgery really seemed to get his knee "right"...

Buxton's knee will never be right, and that's been made clear. He went on the IL last year for the knee in May, and it's a chronic inflammation situation. He's got a buildup of scar tissue in there which will continue coming back, but with diligence, Buxton is hoping he can minimize the impact of the knee.

“It's just trying to get in front of those types of problems out there -- not necessarily problems, just stuff I've got to manage throughout the rest of my career, you know?” Buxton said.
https://www.mlb.com/news/byron-buxton-discusses-management-of-knee-pain

[bean5302]

13 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Can Buck play another 7-8 yrs? He barely played the last 7 or 8. That either means he will be gone before we know it or he will be here forever if he finds a way to stay on the field. I would not bet on the latter, the dude is fragile and reckless.

The Twins don't need him to play 7-8 more years, he's only under contract for 4 years, and his full NTC drops after 2 years when it goes to a 5 team trade list.

[dxpavelka]

19 hours ago, mrcharlie said:

Stopped reading at the suggestion Buxton "could continue to have an impact over a full season.".  100 games does not make a full season.  He has played one full season I believe of 140+ games.  Yes a move to one of the corners is wise. If he were not so stubborn a move to preserve his body could have been done a few seasons ago. Start him in leftfield or right, and make a late defensive switch to center in tight ball games.

Sadly, in the era of load management, 100 games does make damn close to a full season.  Which is why you see rosters full of guys like Castro, Farmer and Austin Martin.

[ewen21]

Dear lord.....

In what world is Buxton's career comparable to Torii Hunter's?  We all saw Torii Hunter play and that man did PLAY.  Hunter collected 1.391 runs batted in for his career.  If Buxton were to drive in 100 runs per year over the next ten seasons he STILL would not reach what Hunter did.  Hunter accomplished more as a player after age 32 than Buxton has in his ten seasons as a Twin and it isn't even close.

 

To bring even more clarity to this insane comparison, in the seven years AFTER the was traded from the Twins Hunter played in 999 games as an Angel and a Tiger.  These were his age 32 to 38 seasons.  There is no assurance Buxton will ever play in 1,000 games in his entire career if you ask me.  Torii collected over 1,100 hits in the seven seasons playing with Anaheim and Detroit.  Hunter's WAR during those seven seasons with LAA and DET is almost exactly the same as what Buxton has accomplished in his entire career.  Never once did we need to be concerned about having a stand in CF when Hunter was a Twin.  The fact that the Twins are compelled to assemble a roster that has a plan b centerfielder tells you all you need to know.  Does anyone seriously think Buxton will flick on a switch in his 31 year old season and accomplish what Hunter did?  Why even waste two seconds hoping that he does?  It will never happen!

 

I understand optimism, but when optimism overwhelms reality and logical thinking it is counterproductive.  It is also a slight to Torii Hunter.  Stop the insanity.

 

[ewen21]

Since Buxton hasn’t had a career resembling Hunter’s in any way, how can we expect him to suddenly change course now?

 

By the way, it was literally a full four or five years before Hunter moved.  No way on Gods green earth would Hunter have been asked to move from CF in his 31 year old season.  Factually speaking, Hunter was regarded as the best defensive CF in the game and played in 160 games at age 31.

[ewen21]

And then we let him walk after that season.  Hit almost .290, played amazing defense and drove in 107 runs.  Buxton hasn’t come close to that ever because he’s not a full time player.  Case closed

 

Sorry but it’s an insult to compare these two players.