Byron Buxton is doing something he never has before: staying on the field long enough to make people wonder if he’s the best player in the American League.
The Minnesota Twins center fielder has quietly turned into a legitimate MVP candidate, even as his team sits six games back in the AL Central with a 34-40 record. According to MLB Network analysts, Buxton’s recent tear has forced the conversation — whether the Twins’ record wants to cooperate or not.
Robert Flores raised the point on air, and former big leaguer Sean Casey backed it up with numbers that demand attention.
“Obviously, his last nine games, he is on fire. But Buck’s a guy, we’ve always felt like if he could stay healthy, he could put up big numbers,” Casey said. “He’s on pace for 50 home runs in only 136 games.”
That pace is unsustainable, sure. But the underlying production is real. Over his last nine appearances, Buxton is 14-for-33 with six home runs, nine RBIs, and a preposterous 1.533 OPS. For the season, he’s hitting .276 with 23 homers, 36 RBIs, and a .941 OPS. That home run total ranks third in MLB and second in the American League.
The Health Factor That Changes Everything
Buxton’s career has always come with a caveat: if he can stay healthy. That “if” has defined his entire tenure in Minnesota. Since debuting in 2015, he’s played 100 or more games only three times. His personal best in homers came in 2025, when he hit 35 while appearing in 126 games — the second-highest total of his career.
This year, he’s on track to smash that mark and post career-highs in OPS and WAR. But the MVP conversation isn’t just about numbers. It’s about narrative. And the Twins’ record is working against him.
History shows MVP voters reward winning. Since 2000, only two position players have won MVP on a team with a losing record: Andre Dawson in 1987 and Mike Trout in 2019. Buxton would need a historic second half — and a massive turnaround by the Twins — to join that list.
Can a Dogged Twins Team Keep Buxton in the Race?
Manager Derek Shelton has praised Buxton’s approach at the plate, but the team’s struggles create a tricky reality. Even as Buxton mashes, Minnesota sits in third place in the division, well behind the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals.
The Twins return to action Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers in the second game of a three-game set. Every win matters if Buxton wants to stay in the MVP conversation — but right now, his individual performance is making the question unavoidable.
Whether voters ultimately reward him depends on how much weight they give to team success versus sheer individual dominance. For a player who has spent his career answering questions about durability, that’s a problem worth having.
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