The Twins got a blunt reminder on Thursday that Byron Buxton’s season didn’t end the way his first half suggested it might.
FanSided unveiled the 2026 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award finalists, and Buxton was nowhere to be found. That was no surprise after an injury-shortened second half wiped out what had looked like a run toward his second straight Silver Slugger.
Buxton’s 2025 season had all the makings of another standout year. He played in 126 games, his highest total since he appeared in 140 games in 2017, and hit .264/.327/.551 with a 137 wRC+, 35 home runs and 83 RBI. That production earned him the first Silver Slugger Award of his career.
This year, he was even better early on. In the first half, Buxton hit .271/.328/.575 with a 147 wRC+ and 25 home runs in 75 games.
Then came the injuries. After the All-Star break, he managed only 18 games because of multiple IL stints tied to a hip issue, and the numbers cratered to .172/.274/.203 with no home runs.
Even when he was active, the hip was clearly still an issue.
The final line still looked strong on paper: 2.6 fWAR and a 128 wRC+. But that doesn’t erase how much time he missed after such a promising start, especially coming off a healthy stretch in 2025 that seemed to point in the right direction.
Buxton had hip surgery in September and is expected to be ready when spring training opens. Barring another setback, he should be in Minnesota’s 2027 Opening Day lineup.
Still, the Twins have to plan around the possibility of more time on the injured list. That’s the reality with Buxton, even if it’s nobody’s fault.
The bigger question now is how Minnesota should use him moving forward. A full-time designated hitter role in 2027 is one possibility, but it’s not the clean answer. The Twins tried that in 2023, and Buxton still missed a significant amount of time while posting a 96 wRC+, which was below average.
Even with all the injury baggage, Buxton remains an elite defender, and he’ll be 33 in December. If he’s healthy, he belongs on the field.
With Walker Jenkins now having made his MLB debut, Minnesota could also consider shifting Buxton to a corner outfield spot if the organization believes that would ease the wear and tear. Left and right field demand less ground coverage than center, and that could help lower the risk.
Buxton remains under team control through the 2028 season, and he has made it clear he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause. For now, the Twins need to get as much value out of him as they can. At the same time, they also have to be ready for the possibility that a large portion of the rest of his contract is spent on the IL.
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