It's Time: In 2026, Byron Buxton Needs to Move to Left Field

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports

Byron Buxton is having one of the best offensive seasons of his career, but his defensive numbers may be starting to show some cracks. The metrics, paired with the organization’s looming prospect pipeline, have sparked an interesting question: Is it time for the Twins to consider moving Buxton to left field in 2026?

Defensive Numbers Tell a Story
Baseball Prospectus’s Deserved Runs Prevented (DRP) paints a clear month-to-month picture of Buxton’s defensive inconsistencies this season:

• March/April: -0.1
• May: 1.4
• June: -1.1
• July: -2.4
• August: -1.4
• September: -0.9

Even early this season, there were signs of defensive decline from Buxton, but they've gotten much more pronounced as the year has progressed. SABR’s latest Defensive Index (SDI) had him at -1.9 through games played on August 10, with only four qualified American League center fielders faring worse.

On top of that, Twins fans have seen it with their own eyes: balls falling in that he used to glide to with ease, or plays that once looked routine now appearing just out of reach.

Age and the Twins’ Timeline
Buxton turns 32 in December, and speed is often one of the first tools to fade as players move into their 30s. The Twins know this reality well. For Minnesota to maximize Buxton’s offensive value, especially during one of the most productive stretches of his career, it may soon be time to transition him out of center field.

The other complicating factor? Walker Jenkins. Minnesota’s top prospect has been thriving at Triple-A as a 20-year-old, and seems poised to debut sometime next season. His short-term future is clearly in center field, and the Twins may not want to block him there. In the minors, he's played 443 innings in center field, and just 43 in right field this year. Emmanuel Rodriguez, another of the organization’s top prospects, has seen a lot of time in center and could be ready to impact the big-league roster next season. Injuries have impacted both top prospects, but obviously, Buxton has been no stranger to the injured list in his own right. 

Another factor the Twins must consider is Buxton’s long history of injuries. While he’s been healthier in recent seasons, his career has been defined as much by time on the injured list as by highlight-reel plays. A move to left field could help reduce the physical toll on his body, as corner spots typically require less ground to cover and fewer all-out sprints into the gaps or negotiations with the wall. Preserving Buxton’s health has always been a priority for the Twins, and a position change might be one way to keep his bat in the lineup more consistently while limiting the risk of those nagging injuries that have plagued him in the past.

The Twins also acquired two center field-capable players at the trade deadline, in Alan Roden and James Outman. Roden’s time was truncated by a season-ending injury, but his defense was one of his calling cards prior to Minnesota acquiring him. Outman has looked rough in center for the Twins and isn’t a long-term answer at the position, but if the team wants to move Buxton to a corner for the full season, Outman could stop the gap in center until Jenkins or Rodriguez is ready to matriculate.

History Repeats Itself
The Twins have a long tradition of elite center fielders, and nearly all of them eventually shifted to a corner spot. Kirby Puckett made the move. Torii Hunter made the move. Even Denard Span spent time away from center late in his career. Buxton could be the next in that line, and it doesn’t have to be viewed as a demotion. It’s a natural progression that helps extend careers.

At his peak, Buxton was the best defensive center fielder in baseball. Those skills may not be entirely gone, but the decline in the numbers suggests the Twins should be proactive. Shifting Buxton to left field would allow him to keep impacting games on both sides of the ball, just from a slightly different spot on the diamond.

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Should the Twins move Buxton to a corner outfield spot when Jenkins makes his debut? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[JBK]

It's time.  If Rodriguez or Jenkins is ready, lets do it.  And, let them play.  Don't let Rocco mess with the lineup every day.  Let those kids play and learn as they go.

[karcherd]

I like this move but only if they are going to commit to Jenkins or Rodriquez and let them play every day even if they struggle.  And no sitting against lefties.

Outman is not an option, he shouldn't be on the roster next year.  I don't understand how Roden is a CF, he played 11 games there in the minor leagues.  And he didn't look that great in the outfield in a short sample size.  Maybe he is a corner outfielder but I don't see him as a stopgap in CF.

 

[dxpavelka]

If it makes the team better, yes.  If not, no.

[Coach Wheels]

19 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

If it makes the team better, yes.  If not, no.

I don't see this making the team better in 2026 because there is no way Jenkins or Rodriguez are ready to play 140-150 games in the majors. 

If you think he's done in CF, trade him and get more young talent. They aren't trying to win so keeping him and playing him with a bunch of kids who aren't ready to win makes less.sense than trading him in my opinion.

[Johnbullit]

The best thing the Twins can do is trade Buxton for a couple of pitchers a top starter and bullpen help...then move Ober to the closer spot and bring up both Jenkins and Rodriguez...playing one in left and the other in center...Wallner/ Larnach in Rf/DH.....Clemens - 1st....

KEASCHALL -2ND

LEE -SS

Lewis -3rd

Jeffers-C

 

And fire Falvey and Rocco and find a manager that is not a re-tread and can handle a young team

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2025 by Johnbullit

[Killer Rod Tony]

Buck says he is a Twin for life...no trade clause. Ober I feel throws to slow for a closer. Fire Falvey for sure. Massive mistakes 

[mikelink45]

Too early. Maybe in another year but remove Roden and Outman from the discussion. When Jenkins are Rodriguez are ready and push him to left field I will be fine with it but at this point he is still our best bet in center

[chpettit19]

Buxton's statcast data tells a very different story than this. He's at 4 OAA. He's still amongst the fastest players in the league (100th percentile sprint speed, actually). His reactions are still slow (always have been) but his crazy athleticism continues to make up for it.

So, the question then becomes, do you trust the computer tracked data of statcast or the judgements of random interns sitting at computers judging how fast and far Buxton ran? His defense may not be platinum glove anymore, but I think its a massive stretch to say its below average. And there's certainly nobody better in this org.

[Eris]

I don’t recall reading any analysis about Walker Jenkins defensive skill set in CF. Does he profile as elite, above average, average or below average in CF. 

[MinnInPa]

lets please stop including Rodriquez as at top prospect . this guy has done nothing at AAA.. maybe someday things will click. right now we should be talking about Jenkins, Gonzales and Fedko only for OF options for the future .forget Outman and Kiersay too..

Edited September 12, 2025 by MinnInPa
excluded a name

[Matthew Trueblood]

7 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Buxton's statcast data tells a very different story than this. He's at 4 OAA. He's still amongst the fastest players in the league (100th percentile sprint speed, actually). His reactions are still slow (always have been) but his crazy athleticism continues to make up for it.

So, the question then becomes, do you trust the computer tracked data of statcast or the judgements of random interns sitting at computers judging how fast and far Buxton ran? His defense may not be platinum glove anymore, but I think its a massive stretch to say its below average. And there's certainly nobody better in this org.

I think the SIS Video Scouts would resent your characterization of them, and it's worth noting that Defensive Runs Saved uses data *in combination* with the insights of those scouts—but the most important thing to say here is that you've got the wrong stat there! Deserved Runs Prevented (DRP) is the one Cody cited here, and it doesn't make *any* use of human video review and judgment. It's built by starting with Statcast data and making important refinements via modeling.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't agree. DRS thinks Buxton is about average, and OAA thinks he's a +4. He's not going to last in center for much longer, but I'm not quite ready to move him yet.

[mluebker]

If it keeps him in the line-up and off the IL, I’m for it. But that comes as a painful reminder of just how brief a time a talent like Buxton has at the top of his game, with a tremendous sense of loss at what could have been, and of how quickly the years pass. 

[Patzky]

57 minutes ago, Coach Wheels said:

I don't see this making the team better in 2026 because there is no way Jenkins or Rodriguez are ready to play 140-150 games in the majors. 

If you think he's done in CF, trade him and get more young talent. They aren't trying to win so keeping him and playing him with a bunch of kids who aren't ready to win makes less.sense than trading him in my opinion.

Never mind that he's the face of the franchise; financially he's a great deal. Trading him (even if he blessed it, which is required) would be foolish. Nobody else we have in the outfield comes near his level of offensive production.

[jorgenswest]

I am trying to find an analysis of the BP’s defensive metric for outfield that is not done by BP. Anyone leads? Here is one from 2023 on RDA which is a main component of DRP. I would like to find something not done by BP that argues that we should be paying attention to DRP over OAA.

There aren’t many baseball players that can hit and play a near average centerfield. Right now I think Buxton is better than near average. Even if accepting BP’s assessment of his slightly below average defense he still looks to be the best option in CF for the Twins next year. 

[chpettit19]

2 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

I think the SIS Video Scouts would resent your characterization of them, and it's worth noting that Defensive Runs Saved uses data *in combination* with the insights of those scouts—but the most important thing to say here is that you've got the wrong stat there! Deserved Runs Prevented (DRP) is the one Cody cited here, and it doesn't make *any* use of human video review and judgment. It's built by starting with Statcast data and making important refinements via modeling.

I was an SIS video scout. But fair enough on the DRP.

[DJL44]

If Bader couldn’t move Buxton to LF, I don’t see how Jenkins will.

[farmerguychris]

11 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

If Bader couldn’t move Buxton to LF, I don’t see how Jenkins will.

IF (and its a big if that I don't believe will happen) - the Twins even try to compete in 2026 - I'd love to bring Bader back.

[tony&rodney]

Baseball loves its analytics and in many areas they are useful, putting numbers to what perceptive baseball minds have always known. Metrics for defense, however, are by their very nature flawed. Perhaps at some point there will be video placed in the exact same place in every stadium with instruments that measure heat, humidity, wind, clouds, sun, and crowd noise and colors and manage to record every movement precisely in the exact same manner. Until such time, the human eye and mind is still a match for a pile of people collecting information. 

Byron Buxton has not fallen off his game in centerfield to the point where he gets moved to a corner at this point. Buck himself may be totally flummoxed by the mere thought. I suspect he would not accept a move at this time. Byron has retreated from the days of running into the walls and fences which may hurt his stat line but his speed is still elite and he never was all that good at jumps on fly balls. 

Why downgrade the position? Neither Emmanuel Rodriguez nor Walker Jenkins play centerfield as well as Buxton at this point. Perhaps a Max Clark or Cedanne Rafaela raises the question anew if acquired. Both of the Twins prospects have played a few games in the corners, Buxton has less experience as a corner outfielder than either (only in his minor league days a couple of times) and has been exclusively a centerfielder in his MLB career. 

Lastly, the largest positive change the Twins can make in their outfield is to actually roster and play guys who are capable of fielding to an acceptable degree in the corners. 

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, Johnbullit said:

The best thing the Twins can do is trade Buxton for a couple of pitchers a top starter and bullpen help...then move Ober to the closer spot and bring up both Jenkins and Rodriguez...playing one in left and the other in center...Wallner/ Larnach in Rf/DH.....Clemens - 1st....

KEASCHALL -2ND

LEE -SS

Lewis -3rd

Jeffers-C

 

And fire Falvey and Rocco and find a manager that is not a re-tread and can handle a young team

 

 

 

 

Respectfully I disagree with virtually everything you said except Keaschall at 2nd, Lewis at 3rd, and fire Falvey.

[Riverbrian]

I don't understand how it's so hard to work with the conditions that exist. Simply look at the roster you have to work with and position them. Did we have a better CF on the roster? Was Bader a better CF? I'll let others debate that. But if Bader is was a better CF. Why couldn't they play Bader in CF and Buxton move to a corner when Bader was placed into the lineup and let Buxton play CF when Bader wasn't in the lineup. This static position and static place in a batter order thing drives me crazy. There is nothing static about baseball players... they rise and fall and rise again like ocean tides, like hot and cold air. 

You staff a 26 man roster with the best players you have. The assessment of the best 26 players you have is not just a defensive assessment. It's offense, defense, it's everything that makes up the job of being a ball player. The search for better players needs to be constant, competitive and it needs to take in account offense, defense and everything that makes up the job of being a ball player. If Buxton plays some LF and some CF... it'll be alright. If he plays CF every day... it'll be alright.  

You look at your roster and you place them in the positions that make sense. Not only year by year or even month by month but the lineup you are putting out there every day. 

The Twins have achieved 100 wins only once since hitting the shores of Bloomington 64 years ago. That year was 2019. Jorge Polanco played 142 games at SS that year. Sano played 91 games at 3B that year. Arraez played 49 games at 2B and 21 games in LF that year. Mitch Garver played 82 games at Catcher that year. Astudillo turtled at catcher for 21 games, 15 games at 1B, 13 games at 3B and 8 games in the OF. It worked out OK. 

Enough fluff around the edges in regards to building a roster. Stop looking for specific positions... FIND PLAYERS period. Stop looking for specifics like right handed or left handed. Stop strip mining for parts... that's fluff around the edges. If you end up with 3 CF's on your roster that can play this game. That's good because you got 3 players who can play this game. If Jenkins, Erod and Buxton end up on the same roster and are all killing it. We are going to be OK. Thank your lucky stars that you have 3 talented CF'ers and then make out a lineup with them in it.  

The Twins are currently not in a position to hyper-focus on finding a CF to purposely and deliberately move Buxton to a corner. The Twins need to be hyper-focused on increasing overall talent on the roster period!

Buxton is a good CF... I'm sure he'd be great in a corner as well. Let the context around him make that determination or better yet... let performance on the field make the determinations.   

 

[Blyleven2011]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

Too early. Maybe in another year but remove Roden and Outman from the discussion. When Jenkins are Rodriguez are ready and push him to left field I will be fine with it but at this point he is still our best bet in center

I agree , evaluate another year in 2026 but next year he is our centerfielder , his replacements haven't performed as well as buxton since the deadline for sure , balls that are hit over the replacements heads aren't being caught , but buxton would have made those catches ...

Buxton is our centerfielder for 2026 when healthy ...

[Doctor Gast]

It's ridiculous to put Buxton together with Rodon, Outman & CF in the same sentence. I'm not sure if Rodon or Outman should be playing much less in CF. I don't trust defensive stats, My eye tells me that we don't have anyone close to take Buxton's place in CF. It'd be a tremendous waste to put him in cOF. If we have a future CFer that might suffice there. The best teacher is to watch Buxton in CF. Twins' philosophy that defense is not important has to change if we ever want to compete again. We have to place the best defensive players at the premium positions CF, SS, C & 2B & keep them there to maximize our chances of winning our games. Putting Buxton in cOF counterdicts that idea.

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

Buxton's statcast data tells a very different story than this. He's at 4 OAA. He's still amongst the fastest players in the league (100th percentile sprint speed, actually). His reactions are still slow (always have been) but his crazy athleticism continues to make up for it.

So, the question then becomes, do you trust the computer tracked data of statcast or the judgements of random interns sitting at computers judging how fast and far Buxton ran? His defense may not be platinum glove anymore, but I think its a massive stretch to say its below average. And there's certainly nobody better in this org.

Completely agree - he’s like the 2nd or 3rd fastest guy on the bases but too slow to play CF? - makes no sense, regardless of his initial reaction time.

Assuming Rodriguez can stay healthy enough to play for 2-3 months straight, at any position, is just “hopeful” at this point. Jenkins, I’m assuming, isn’t considered for Big Club until at least later May/June of ‘26.

Team needs to concern themselves with 1B (not Clemens daily) & Catcher ……..couple proven PEN guys…… Buxton being moved is just something to write about.

OF & Rotation has enough pieces in Sum to find the right answers based on performance in early ‘26………..some may get their foot in the door over next 15 games?

[terrydactyls]

1 hour ago, jorgenswest said:

I am trying to find an analysis of the BP’s defensive metric for outfield that is not done by BP. Anyone leads? Here is one from 2023 on RDA which is a main component of DRP. I would like to find something not done by BP that argues that we should be paying attention to DRP over OAA.

There aren’t many baseball players that can hit and play a near average centerfield. Right now I think Buxton is better than near average. Even if accepting BP’s assessment of his slightly below average defense he still looks to be the best option in CF for the Twins next year. 

Lots of acronyms.  FYI, it reminds me of meetings with DOD when I worked in D.C.

[insagt1]

Buck is not going to be traded. However he has thrown down the gauntlet that he is not interested in yet another failed 'rebuild'.  Twins had a miserable 2025 season, in almost every aspect.  They need to do something in the off-season to make their big league team competitive again. Team needs to figure out what it takes to be a winner again because this current team borders on unwatchable. There is some talent out there but it didn't come together at all. They shouldn't be this far back of Det, Cle or KC. And their play against Chicago was deplorable. Lots of work to be done. 

[sweetmusicviola16]

Keep Buxton in CF. He's a known commodity. Unlike Jenkins and the ever injured emrod. Going back generations there have been older players that man CF quite well. It could possibly be that now that Buxton has managed to tone down his aggressive play in the field that he will play more and be injured less. We saw how well he performed as a DH. He didn't. Why mess with his game again. 

[terrydactyls]

20 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

 Putting Buxton in cOF counterdicts that idea.

Is a counterdict an accountant you don't like?  Or a fast-food order taker with a bad personality?  And either choice contradicts your premise.

[MikeNC]

If you truly want to compete, then I don't see any starting corner OF on the roster now. (Ok, maybe Austing Martin if he can continue to improve his OBP and be the leadoff).  Buxton, the team's best power hitter, should not be leading off.  You don't win many games with solo homers, you win a lot more with 3-run homers.  If he's all headcase when in the heart of the order, then I guess leadoff is better than being a whif-o-matic.  Speaking of which. Wallner just isn't getting better, and Larnach has little power, and neither is defensively adequate or acceptable without a big stick at the plate.  Outman is just plain a poor hitter.  No idea what Roden can do, but considering all the other "incredible" gets from the trades I'm gonna be pessimistic on that too.  (Except T. Bradley, I love that guy's potential).