One of the biggest components to the Minnesota Twins' 2025 season was always going to be the health of center fielder Byron Buxton. When healthy, Buxton is one of the best players in Major League Baseball, but staying on the field has proved to be the biggest fear that Twins fans have had about the superstar in recent years. Following Max Kepler signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Twins made a sneaky signing with the addition of Harrison Bader. Given the state of the roster, it's paid remarkable dividends so far.
A former top prospect with the St. Louis Cardinals, Bader has become somewhat of a journeyman in recent seasons, having stops with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds in recent seasons. With the Twins this season, Bader's arrival has looked like a stroke of genius for the Twins' front office.
Entering play on Thursday, Bader has a slash line of .265/.357/.435/128 wRC+ while seeing most of his time in left. Bader is posting offensive career-highs across the board, resulting in a 1.5 fWAR on the season. In case you were wondering, Kepler has a 94 wRC+ with the Phillies this season, while Manuel Margot, now with the Detroit Tigers, has only six games at the Major League level this season.
Harrison Bader has become an unsung hero for the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins' decision to sign Bader arrived at a time when there was a debate this past offseason regarding the future of DaShwan Keirsey Jr. After an inconsistent offensive showing in 2024, Keirsey's struggling offensive output this season also adds to the importance of Bader's signing. In 66 plate appearances at the Major League level, Keirsey hit under .200 with a -24 wRC+. Now in Triple-A, Keirsey hasn't been much better, posting an 11 wRC+. The Twins avoided a disaster by signing Bader instead of giving Keirsey a runway in left field.
Beyond that, Bader's presence on the team gives the Twins a safety in case the injury concerns about Buxton resurface during the closing months of the season. Staying healthy is a key component to the Twins' season moving forward, but Bader is helping with keeping the machine going.