Twins star Byron Buxton named Hank Aaron Award finalist
Major League Baseball revealed the finalists for the Hank Aaron Award, which is meant to be given to each league's best offensive performer every year, on Monday, with Twins center fielder Byron Buxton being one of the candidates. A fan vote and a panel of Hall of Famers determine the winner of the award. Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, José Ramírez, Junior Caminero, Nick Kurtz, George Springer, Riley Greene, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr. are the other American League finalists for the prestigious honor.
Buxton had an impressive 2025 campaign and certainly was the Twins' best offensive player this season. The American League winner of the Hank Aaron Award will most likely be Aaron Judge, who led the league in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457) and slugging percentage (.688) while collecting 53 homers and 114 RBIs, but it's still an honor for Buxton to be nominated for an award named after one of the best players in MLB history.
Just two seasons ago, the Twins didn't allow Buxton to play a single inning of center field out of fear of him getting injured. In 2025, Buxton played in 126 games, which is the most he has played in since 2017, while providing elite defense in center field. Buxton had the highest fWAR (5.0) total of his career this past season while slashing .264/.327/.551 (135 wRC+) with a career-high in home runs (35), RBIs (83), runs scored (97) and triples (7). Buxton also helped the Twins' offense on the basepaths, going 24-for-24 in stolen base attempts. It's a shame the Twins couldn't capitalize on the best season of Buxton's career, considering his injury history.
Buxton will no doubt be the Twins' starting center fielder next season after a career year. Hopefully, the front office ensures Buxton's talents won't be wasted again, and the star center fielder is healthy for the majority of 2026.
Fans can vote Buxton for the Hank Aaron Award here. The winner will be announced live from The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 13, during a presentation at the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards.