The World Baseball Classic Could Open the Door for a Byron Buxton Position Shift

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of ​© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the World Baseball Classic on the horizon, many were wondering whether Byron Buxton or Pete Crow-Armstrong would be Team USA’s starting center fielder. That debate may have just resolved itself.

Presumed starting left fielder Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone in his right hand. While Team USA will replace Carroll on the roster, it is difficult to imagine that replacement being a better overall option than either Buxton or Crow-Armstrong. The most logical alignment now features Crow-Armstrong in center field, Aaron Judge in right, and Buxton sliding over to left. And that possibility should grab the Twins’ attention.

Buxton has never played a corner outfield position in the majors. Yet given how well he handles center field, there is little doubt he would be an elite defender in left. In fact, he might immediately become the best defensive left fielder in baseball if he played there full-time. The reads, the closing speed, and the arm strength. Those tools would not disappear simply because the wall is closer and the angles are different.

But the numbers suggest this conversation is arriving at the right time. Baseball Prospectus’ Deserved Runs Prevented metric shows a clear month-to-month picture of Buxton’s defensive performance this season.

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

Even early in the year, there were hints of slippage. As the season progressed, the inconsistency became more pronounced. Buxton still makes spectacular plays, but the day-to-day impact has not been as steady as it once was.

He turned 32 in December. Speed is often the first tool to fade as players move into their 30s, and center field is one of the most physically demanding positions on the diamond. The Twins understand that reality. If Minnesota wants to maximize Buxton’s offensive value during one of the most productive stretches of his career, it may soon be time to reduce the defensive burden.

The World Baseball Classic could serve as a trial run. If Buxton thrives in left field on an international stage, the optics change. It no longer feels hypothetical. It becomes practical.

And then there is Walker Jenkins. Minnesota’s top prospect reached Triple-A as a 20-year-old and appears poised to debut sometime next season. His short-term future is in center field. In the minors this year, Jenkins has logged 443 innings in center and just 43 in right. Emmanuel Rodriguez, another top prospect, also has significant center field experience and could factor into the big league roster soon. The Twins may not want to block that pipeline.

Buxton is under team control through 2028. Even if his defense in center remains solid through a modest decline, the organization has to consider roster optimization over the next several seasons. Moving Buxton to left field would allow Jenkins to step into center without forcing an awkward positional shuffle.

There is also the matter of health. Buxton’s career has been defined as much by time on the injured list as by highlight reel catches. He has been healthier recently, but reducing the physical demands of his position could help keep his bat in the lineup more consistently. Corner outfield spots typically require less ground to cover and fewer all-out sprints into the gaps. Preserving Buxton’s body has always been a priority. A move to left field could be a proactive step rather than a reactive one.

It does not have to be viewed as a demotion. It is a natural progression that helps extend careers. Some of the game’s best center fielders eventually make that move. The bat stays in the lineup. The legs last longer. The value shifts but does not disappear.

The World Baseball Classic might only last a few weeks. But for Buxton and the Twins, it could quietly preview the next phase of his career.

Should the Twins consider moving Buxton to a corner outfield spot in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[TopGunn#22]

My eye test doesn't think Buxton has slipped that much.  But my eyes will be 68 in May.  I didn't think Willie Mays had slipped that much until I saw him play CF for the Mets in the 1973 World Series.  And then I looked at the chart Cody provided.

This is an inevitable progression for formerly great CF's. But as Cody pointed out, it doesn't have to end badly if the player can adapt to the shift quickly and rather than their peak skills being at 95-100% they are merely at 85-90%.

This is probably not something that would happen to open the season though.  Jenkins will probably not break camp with the team.  Would E-Rod be better than Buxton?  And will he break camp with the team? Maybe Alan Roden, if he found his hitting stroke?  But while Roden might be a good corner OF who could fill in at CF occasionally, would Roden be better than Buxton in CF to open the season?  Probably not.

But I like the idea of taking a highly stressful defensive position away from Buxton to improve the odds of his staying healthy and hopefully benefitting from a repeat of his 2025 offensive numbers.  The Twins have a starting rotation that can compete in the A.L. Central.  They have a BP that while not necessarily complete, has started to take form and could be adequate.  They are still not a good defensive team and their offense has a lot of question marks.  Having Buxton healthy and producing for 130-140 games would sure be helpful.    

 

[Yoke]

I don’t think it’s the move for 2026, but I do think it’s the move for 2027.

[chpettit19]

Buxton is still the best CFer on the 40-man. He'll still be the best when Jenkins is called up. Emma is better than Jenkins in center from what I've seen of them in the minors. Ideally, Jenkins is in a corner in the majors, but he'll stay in CF until they have to move him because Buxton and Emma are such massive injury risks ahead of him.

This isn't a 2026 move. But PCA is a much better CFer than Buxton now and he'll play there over Buxton in the WBC for defensive purposes. It would be nice if Buxton gets some time in left during the WBC to get the idea in his head and make that conversation easier for the Twins for 2027 or 2028 or beyond. The transition will happen eventually, but this is not the year. The Twins don't have anyone nearly worthy of pushing Buxton to a corner. If they're trying to compete there isn't any conversation worth having about Buxton going to LF. Not even the injury one when the best backup CF options are an even bigger injury risk in Emma or Alan Roden. 

Buxton will have to move to a corner eventually, but you'll want a true CFer here when he does if you're trying to compete when it happens. If they were going into this year with a blown-up rotation in the middle of a real rebuild, I'd say get it out of the way and put Emma and/or Jenkins out there. But they aren't. So, the job is Buxton's.

[DannySD]

He had that nasty head-to-head with Correa in May, and the Twins were mostly out of contention after that, I'm willing to assume he took a little off his closing to stay healthy. I think his numbers this year will determine if he has another year or two in center. 

[DataNerd]

1. Using monthly defensive numbers is not a great analysis unless you are thinking that a guy was hurt.  Even yearly they tend to have wild changes year to year.

2. While he is coming off of his worst defensive season (from Statcast RAA), he was still 2 runs above average and had a 100th percentile sprint speed.  Really am wondering if this is actually a decline in ability, or a focus on staying healthy by not taking unnecessary risks.

[stringer bell]

He hasn't lost much speed. I believe he had the fourth or fifth highest sprint speed in MLB in 2025. That said, the numbers haven't been that extraordinary for a while. I thought it was caution after suffering so many injuries colliding with fences and people. If somebody who is here for as long or longer than Buxton, it may be time to occupy a corner.

[Linus]

1 hour ago, DataNerd said:

1. Using monthly defensive numbers is not a great analysis unless you are thinking that a guy was hurt.  Even yearly they tend to have wild changes year to year.

2. While he is coming off of his worst defensive season (from Statcast RAA), he was still 2 runs above average and had a 100th percentile sprint speed.  Really am wondering if this is actually a decline in ability, or a focus on staying healthy by not taking unnecessary risks.

This. He hasn’t lost speed to speak of. I haven’t noticed any decline other than I think he is playing it a little safer out there. 

[terrydactyls]

But the big question (which no one has mentioned) is:  would Buxton be a better left fielder than Larnach?  😁😄😇

[TopGunn#22]

chpettit19 makes an interesting point regarding a best case scenario of Jenkins and E-Rod staying in the corners in a future Twins OF alignment.  

We're STILL looking for a pure SS to step in for the Twins, and the top prospects in this year's amateur draft are SS's.  Might the Twins use their 2nd or 3rd pick on a CF prospect who can run down a ball in the gap consistently but may not have the power profile of a high 1st round selection?

I don't think there's really a "can't miss" CF prospect coming out of the college ranks who could make it to the Major Leagues faster than a high School prospect.  But the Twins should really be planning on having something in place when Buxton either moves to a corner OF spot, or even leaves the team via a trade.  

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I'm all about positional flexibility, and getting some time in the corners, as well as other people time in center. I'm sure the US team will do what they feel is best game to game, and that's good enough for them, as well as us.

[sun]

The corner OF positions can be more dangerous than CF due to the walls being closer. I'm not happy to hear that he may need to move to LF for the Classic. I hope that he doesn't break a leg or worse. He's familiar with CF and has learned to protect himself, thus moving him would be riskier than letting him stay there for as long as possible.. To be fair let's ask Buck where he wants to play. Since half the game is mental then let's keep him mentally happy.

[Western SD Fan]

13 hours ago, DannySD said:

He had that nasty head-to-head with Correa in May, and the Twins were mostly out of contention after that, I'm willing to assume he took a little off his closing to stay healthy. I think his numbers this year will determine if he has another year or two in center. 

Another possibility is there may have been lingering effects from the concussion may have affected his initial reaction time or pop time for the remainder of the season.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

On 2/15/2026 at 6:49 AM, Yoke said:

I don’t think it’s the move for 2026, but I do think it’s the move for 2027.

I agree. I think it is a year too early to move Buxton to the corners.