Byron Buxton Joins an Elite Group in Twins History

Byron Buxton made his debut with the Minnesota Twins during the 2015 regular season. He won a Gold Glove two years later, and earned his first MVP votes, despite posting just a 93 OPS+. During 2020, he improved on his MVP positioning, and in 2022, he appeared in his first All-Star Game.

The storyline for Buxton, who was signed to a seven-year, $100-million extension by Minnesota prior to the 2022 season, has always been about injuries. Fluky as it may be, his inability to stay on the field has been the main thing that has taken away from his production. A different hitter now, looking for more power than ever, he remains an elite talent in the outfield.

The skillset has combined for 20.1 fWAR, making him just the 28th hitter in franchise history (including the Washington Senators) to reach that mark. Justin Morneau came up just shy, at 19.9 fWAR, and Roy Smalley’s 20.9 fWAR is the next name Buxton could pass on the list. Removing those that did their damage for the Senators would push Buxton all the way up to 13th in team history.

It's unfortunate that we have seen Buxton’s production sapped by an inability to stay on the field, and we have lost out on some of the greatest years of his prime to various ailments. At this point, the Georgia native understands the trajectory of his career will forever be different, as he deals with chronic knee pain. Still, the hope is that he’ll be able to adapt and settle into a productive future.

How far Buxton can climb remains to be seen. Even while struggling through a new process at the plate, and having missed time early this season, he has already played nearly 60 games. He has surpassed the production he put up in 85 games last season, and generating the 3.5 fWAR from 2022 is within reach.

With four more seasons on his contract, something between Brian Dozier’s 23.8 fWAR and Chuck Knoblauch’s 33.6 fWAR seems possible. Bob Allison, of Senators fame, put up 35.3 fWAR for the Twins and is revered as one of the best hitters in franchise history. Buxton could get there with a combination of rejuvenate offense and sustained excellence on defense, but to do so, his bat would need to continue to play into his mid-30s.

It’s odd to think that Buxton has now been in the big leagues for 10 seasons, and he has been in the system for nearly half of his life. That’s the reality, though, and Twins fans have seen him grow from the stringy high schooler into the family man with a smile always willing to go out and give the franchise his best.

The rest of this story remains unwritten, but to this point, we’ve seen highs and lows that have produced one of the greatest careers in franchise history. First-round picks don’t always work out that way, and first overall picks aren’t guaranteed to do so, either. Buxton, though, has remained determined to keep showing up and accruing value.