Baseball has a long and bizarre history with naming a player a team captain. When teams have named captains, it’s something that has intertwined a player with the history of the franchise and with the team’s fan base. Notable captains being Derek Jeter, Aaron Judge, Salvador Perez, Barry Larkin, Yadier Molina, Jason Varitek, and others. All of these guys were great players and great leaders. However, most importantly in the times of modern baseball, they were committed to their ballclub.
The real-life function of a team captain in baseball is obviously negligible. There are no rules where only the captain can talk to the umpire and there’s really not any player involvement concocting gameday strategy outside of pitchers and catchers game planning. Holding the mantle of team captain in a game like baseball is largely honoring a player and their impact on a clubhouse, on a fanbase, and within the franchise.
The Twins currently have a player that fits this mold as well as anyone since the Joe Mauer era (who should have absolutely been a team captain by the way). This player is currently the longest-tenured Twin and has been in the organization 14 seasons. He is the pulse of the clubhouse and in the face of a complete renovation of the roster, he faced the microphones many times and said “I ain’t goin’ anywhere”. With all things considered and no sources to prove it, I would imagine the Twins brass begged him to waive his no trade clause, but he stood firm on wanting to be in Minnesota. Byron Buxton should be named captain of the Minnesota Twins.
Buxton is already team captain in everything but title. He has gone through huge ups and downs in production, played through pain, continues to suffer a poor supporting cast, and he remains staunch on cementing his legacy with Minnesota. Most players would’ve happily jumped ship at the deadline and we even saw some that did, only to stay at home in October anyways.
In baseball, you see players hop franchises at the drop of a hat. Players are always in pursuit of more money, more wins, more glory, which is what the players should be doing, but this cheapens the fan experience. Front offices executing order 66 on their roster every 5-7 years makes you feel like you’re just cheering for laundry. Buxton demanding to stay and extending his tenure here gives meaning to a fanbase of an underperforming team, and it helps fans build real relationships with a franchise.
A player of Byron Buxton’s caliber choosing this franchise over and over, while being an anchor during a tumultuous 2025 season, has earned him the right to be named captain of the Minnesota Twins. He has done right by the franchise, but now it is time for the franchise to do right by Byron Buxton. Heading into 2026 it’s time to answer Buxton’s commitment to this franchise by putting a “C” on his jersey for the rest of his career.