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

[saviking]

Why not First Base

[RpR]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

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.

He has not slowed down, now - he does not take the radical chances to get to a ball he used to do, as so many high-light fielders still do.

[Trov]

Why LF, and not RF?  He has a cannon still, I think shifting to RF he would have more value there. 

[DannySD]

I think he gets one more year in center. He also had that nasty head-to-head with Correa on May 15th. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

3 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

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.   

 

Amen, brother. 

[Coach Wheels]

4 hours ago, Patzky said:

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.

I'd hate to trade him as well, definitely not my preference. I also believe is our best OF and will be for 2026 as well as 2027. Moving him LF is another sign of not being interested in winning. If you aren't interested in winning, get him to another franchise where he'd have a chance to win and pick up more young assets.

[Brett]

I think our ‘26 outfield should be Buxton, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzales, and Martin. Wallner as DH or a corner when injuries dictate. Let the kids occasionally play CF when Buck needs a day.
The accurately named Outman needs more time in St. Paul, so he should be 2 injuries away from the major league roster.

[The Mad King]

Good call, especially with Jenkins looking ready. 

[weitz41]

Rocco needs to move to 1st base coach for Tampa Bay Rays. But is that going to happen???

Couldn't help myself sorry...(not really)... All Kidding aside. Too few games in AAA for Jenkins for this to happen yet. E Rod seems to need a breather (injury) every 30 game or so...It may be a little early for this now. Should it happen heck yeah. Will it? Sometime in the 2026 season hopefully.

[rdehring]

Haven't seen the Twins live this year.  My wife and I are old, don't want to deal with the hassles or cost, and she has no interest in crossing the Minneapolis city line other than on I-94 going towards Wisconsin.

Have watched most of the games.  Being old, I don't understand most of the data you all talk about all day.  Yes, Buxton appears to play a bit more careful in an attempt to stay healthy.  But any data that says Buxton is one of the four worst center fielders in the league is just plain hog wash.  At least in my opinion.

[adjacent]

I read the article and all the comments. But I did not find any information on how Jenkins and/or Rodriguez rate as CF. And I think that is an important piece of information when deciding if can replace Buck. I don't have that info, and I've never seen they play live. Does anybody have info about that?

 

[Western SD Fan]

I don't see how the Twins FO will allow Jenkins to see Target Field until May/June of 2026 as they need to play the age-old game of service time manipulation for at least one more year (next CBA may address this).  With the roster we currently have, the opening day roster looks to be Buxton in CF, Martin in LF, and Wallner in RF.  Roden will be the 4th outfielder and likely coming in for defense for Wallner in the late innings.  If we assume that Jenkins comes up when the FO deems it worthy, I will rather see him in LF first and subbing in CF when Buxton needs a day off or is the DH, similar to Bader's role this year.  Let Jenkins learn the role of playing CF in the majors before just handing him the position.  If Buxton starts showing additional decline and it doesn't look like the Twins will have a competitive team in 2027, Buxton has a list of five teams that he willing to be traded to at that time.  You can negotiate a trade at that point provided Jenkins has really learned the position and ready to take it over.

[stringer bell]

7 hours ago, DJL44 said:

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

Bader was here on a one-year contract, obviously with no guarantees that he would be with the team beyond 2025. Moving Buck to left field only to move him back in 2026 to accommodate Bader wasn't going to happen. Walker and maybe Rodriguez figure to be fixtures through the end of the decade beyond the length of Buxton's contract. Moving Buxton out of center to be replaced by a younger more durable CF would be doable.

7 hours ago, DJL44 said:

 

 

[Paul Walerius]

8 hours 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

Those two are most likely to be corner outfielders for at least one year, to get their feet wet.  

[stringer bell]

I did notice that Jenkins played center field when both he and Emma were in the outfield. I always understood that Rodriguez was a likely corner guy with the ability to play center (a la Kepler early in his career), but Jenkins would seem to be the total package.

The OP case that Buxton was falling off as a center fielder seems to be a matter of whose defensive stats are used. To my eyes, he's still very good but there are quite a number of guys who are equally as good and the few elite CFs are better.

Someone noted that Buxton has always used elite speed to make up for so-so reads and breaks on balls and that is still the case. I think he has learned to be a bit less reckless with his body and that takes away a few highlight reel catches in the course of a season. I also think that is an acceptable price to pay to keep Buxton on the field enough to get 500+ at bats.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

9 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

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.

I agree Doc, but I must add 3B as a key defensive position also. Lewis does fine there. 

[IndianaTwin]

Yes, Puckett moved to right field. 

In mid-1993, after Shane Mack had been on board for a season and a half.

Let Jenkins come on board somewhere in 2026. If he shows he’s the real deal and better than Buxton in CF by some time in 2027, then sure, make the change 

Until then, play Buxton in CF. 

[Bodie]

16 hours ago, rdehring said:

Haven't seen the Twins live this year.  My wife and I are old, don't want to deal with the hassles or cost, and she has no interest in crossing the Minneapolis city line other than on I-94 going towards Wisconsin.

Have watched most of the games.  Being old, I don't understand most of the data you all talk about all day.  Yes, Buxton appears to play a bit more careful in an attempt to stay healthy.  But any data that says Buxton is one of the four worst center fielders in the league is just plain hog wash.  At least in my opinion.

Hey, old man!

Your opinion is fact.  There are 4 worse CFs the Twins have played this year.  

Want to talk about bad OFs?  How about Wallner and his 151st best OF arm?  Bet you didn't know you could be 151st on any MLB OF list... (which, by the way ranks him 7 places behind Larnach!)

[rdehring]

2 hours ago, Bodie said:

Hey, old man!

Your opinion is fact.  There are 4 worse CFs the Twins have played this year.  

Want to talk about bad OFs?  How about Wallner and his 151st best OF arm?  Bet you didn't know you could be 151st on any MLB OF list... (which, by the way ranks him 7 places behind Larnach!)

If you follow my comments here since Wallner arrived, you will know that I have a problem with the Twins playing Wallner anywhere other than DH.  Not a huge fan of Larnach out there either, but would rather see him in the field than Wallner.  Yes, a lot of you have responded negatively to my Wallner comments, but I like to see outfielders that can get to most balls, like Kepler could before he also got old.

[stringer bell]

3 hours ago, Bodie said:

Want to talk about bad OFs?  How about Wallner and his 151st best OF arm?  Bet you didn't know you could be 151st on any MLB OF list... (which, by the way ranks him 7 places behind Larnach!)

Where did you get this information? It doesn't jibe with stats for arm strength that list Wallner as elite and other ratings for range and defensive runs saved which put him as below average, but not dreadful. 

33 minutes ago, rdehring said:

If you follow my comments here since Wallner arrived, you will know that I have a problem with the Twins playing Wallner anywhere other than DH.  Not a huge fan of Larnach out there either, but would rather see him in the field than Wallner.  Yes, a lot of you have responded negatively to my Wallner comments, but I like to see outfielders that can get to most balls, like Kepler could before he also got old.

Specifically, according to BBRef, Wallner ranks as -3 runs in "Total Zone Total Runs Above Average in 80 games. In another rating he -5 in Defensive Runs Saved. These numbers are below average, but many players also fit in this category, including my favorite right fielder of this century Michael Cuddyer. In the last month or so, when I've watched the Twins, Wallner frankly hasn't looked very good in the field. I think many outfielders in the Twins plans for 2026 and beyond can do a better job than Wallner (or Larnach), but many OFs in MLB are in the same range.

[Bodie]

11 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Where did you get this information? It doesn't jibe with stats for arm strength that list Wallner as elite and other ratings for range and defensive runs saved which put him as below average, but not dreadful. 

Specifically, according to BBRef, Wallner ranks as -3 runs in "Total Zone Total Runs Above Average in 80 games. In another rating he -5 in Defensive Runs Saved. These numbers are below average, but many players also fit in this category, including my favorite right fielder of this century Michael Cuddyer. In the last month or so, when I've watched the Twins, Wallner frankly hasn't looked very good in the field. I think many outfielders in the Twins plans for 2026 and beyond can do a better job than Wallner (or Larnach), but many OFs in MLB are in the same range.

Baseball savant 

[chpettit19]

On 9/13/2025 at 9:43 PM, Bodie said:

Baseball savant 

Baseball Savant has Wallner at a +1 on fielder runs for his arm. That's tied for 24th in baseball (he's listed at 31). Only 42 guys in baseball have a positive value on their arm for preventing runner advances. Wallner is one of them. They have him with the 4th strongest outfield arm. 

So, what value, exactly, are you saying they are ranking him 151st on? Because strength and value they have him 4th and 31st. Or 54th (tied for 29th) in value if you go to anyone with 1 attempt.

Fielding run value they only have him at 98th and only rank 137 outfielders. OAA he's 85th out of 110. So, what stat exactly do you have him down for 151st in for his arm?

[jorgenswest]

I hope the Twins have found their left fielder. Austin Martin has a 2 OAA and 3 DRS in 172 innings. His actual slash stats are very good and his expected stats even better.

[Bodie]

12 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Baseball Savant has Wallner at a +1 on fielder runs for his arm. That's tied for 24th in baseball (he's listed at 31). Only 42 guys in baseball have a positive value on their arm for preventing runner advances. Wallner is one of them. They have him with the 4th strongest outfield arm. 

So, what value, exactly, are you saying they are ranking him 151st on? Because strength and value they have him 4th and 31st. Or 54th (tied for 29th) in value if you go to anyone with 1 attempt.

Fielding run value they only have him at 98th and only rank 137 outfielders. OAA he's 85th out of 110. So, what stat exactly do you have him down for 151st in for his arm?

I can't find it... and I have tried!

The first of 2 metrics measured were % of runners attempting to advance on balls in play.  Wallner clocked in at 42% of runners attempting to advance "an extra base" (admittedly subjective).  No one had a 43%, though several were at 42.  Everyone else was lower.

The success percentage had him 2 percentage points from the bottom, though only 13% from the top ( a surprising small range, imo).  The actual percentages escape me at the moment. 

[stringer bell]

10 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

I hope the Twins have found their left fielder. Austin Martin has a 2 OAA and 3 DRS in 172 innings. His actual slash stats are very good and his expected stats even better.

This aged well. Martin may have, in fact, played his way into the Twins plans. An .800 OPS including a .400 OBP plays in MLB.

I’m not convinced about his defense or his base running, but the tools are there for him to be a good all around player.