Every winter, MLB Network releases their top 10 players at every position. The list, titled "Top 10 Players Right Now" is similar to the NFL'sTtop 100 Players special and on Tuesday, Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was ranked third in their list of center fielders.
Buxton's ranking was a four-spot increase from last season but Twins fans don’t need a ranking to know how special Buxton is. In 2024, Buxton played in 102 games, marking his highest total since he played in 140 games in 2017. He compiled a slash line of .279/.335/.524 which marked his second-best batting average and on-base percentage of his career and his third-best slugging percentage.
Buxton's 3.6 WAR was the second-best on the team behind Carlos Correa. But where Buxton shines is in the field where he didn't commit an error in 94 games. It's become a yearly tradition for the 31-year-old, who has only committed one error since the start of the 2020 season.
The 2022 All-Star slots behind two young superstars in Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez and San Diego’s Jackson Merrill. Atlanta’s Michael Harris II and Los Angeles’s Mike Trout rounded out the rest of the top five.
Buxton will need to continue to be one of the Twins' best players as he is a centerpiece of a roster that is hampered by salary restraints. He also is one of the team's leaders off the field as he mentors some of the younger players such as Royce Lewis and potentially Walker Jenkins.
If Buxton can stay on the field, look for him to continue building off of his 2024 campaign as the Twins will need him to be a big contributor in the middle of their lineup if they hope to return to the playoffs.