For many years, the Minnesota Twins’ front office felt compelled to prioritize a backup center fielder who’d be capable of stepping into the starting role, for long stretches, at a moment’s notice. After being bitten by having to play guys like Gilberto Celestino and Nick Gordon in center way too much during the 2021-22 seasons, the Twins made it a point to target Michael A. Taylor, Manuel Margot and Harrison Bader in successive winters.

This year, they noticeably snapped the trend. That’s not because they have any great in-house options to back up center field. 

Buxton’s health has become an afterthought rather than a constant concern, while top prospects are on the verge of big-league readiness, and that’s why center field projects as the biggest strength on the Twins roster. 

TWINS CENTER FIELDERS AT A GLANCE

Starter: Byron Buxton
Backup: James Outman
Depth: Ryan Kreidler, Alan Roden, Austin Martin
Prospects: Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Brandon Winokur

Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 5th out of 30
Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 4th out of 30

THE GOOD
Just a few short years ago, it would have been hard to believe: Buxton in the starting lineup for Minnesota’s first official spring game on February 21st, gearing up to participate in the World Baseball Classic. 

As his injury woes crescendoed in his late 20s, the Twins had no choice but to handle Buxton carefully, often easing him into spring action gradually. Taking part in the WBC would’ve been completely out of the question. But coming off two of his best and healthiest seasons, the two-time All Star is no-holds-barred and all-systems-go. 

 

Buxton narrowly missed a top-10 finish in the AL MVP voting last year, filling the stat sheet in 126 games: 35 home runs, seven triples, 97 runs scored, 24 stolen bases (on 24 attempts) and an .878 OPS. In his age-31 season, he remained one of the fastest players in baseball, with a 100th-percentile sprint speed exceeding 30 ft/sec. Buxton is an outstanding center fielder and the definition of a two-way star. 

Under contract for three more years, Buxton will at some point probably have to move off center field, but that day does not feel particularly close. Not if he has his way.

 

The fact that Buxton is being used exclusively in center field for Team USA, despite the presence of Pete Crow-Armstrong, speaks to his well-earned reverence at the position. He’s not going to relocate willingly if he’s still tracking down balls that others can’t, and for now, he is. It’s possible that the emergence of top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez will create a tension if they clearly surpass the former Platinum Glover in defensive value, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Jenkins and Rodriguez are excellent assets to have on hand in the event that Buxton does get injured again. You never want to lose your best player, but it would open the door for one of those two to play every day in the majors if they prove ready — and Rodriguez arguably already is.

THE BAD
Buxton’s chronic knee issue seems to have finally been solved, but that hardly makes him immune to getting injured in other ways, as last Friday’s HBP scare in the World Baseball Classic opener reminded. In his healthiest season ever last year he still started only 118 of 162 games in center field.

Jenkins and Rodriguez are intriguing potential successors, if they prove to meet the high bar for MLB-caliber defense in center. They’ll never reach Buxton’s level, but few can. At this time, though, the top outfield prospects are fairly inexperienced at Triple-A, and they’ve had their own injury issues. (Jenkins is out this spring with a hamstring strain.)

The lack of a real short-term safety net behind Buxton, as the Twins have had in recent years, could rear its head if a need emerges early in the season. Ryan Kreidler is probably the best defensive backup if he’s on the roster; he was the Opening Day starter in center for the Tigers last year. James Outman’s chances of making the team hinge on his viability in center, which has looked questionable at best. Roden and Martin have gotten run this spring, but should be viewed more as emergency options than candidates to start regularly.

Center field is a hard position. It’s tough to find players who truly excel there defensively, and even harder to find ones who can do that and also hit. Buxton has spoiled us. Hopefully he keeps spoiling us.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Healthy at last, Buxton has claimed his rightful place as one of the game’s elite center fielders. It’s a distinction corroborated by his All-Star nod, Silver Slugger, and starting spot on Team USA. His presence lends instant credibility to the Twins lineup. At some point age will start to catch to him but for the moment he’s mostly outsprinting it. 

Down the line, some of the very best prospects in the Twins system will be aiming to overtake the reins in center field. Here in 2026, moving Buxton off the position doesn’t seem to be on the front office’s mind. His goal this season is to keep it that way.

Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: