Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton has always featured a high ceiling. However, he has not always reached his full potential, which has often been a result of missing time due to injuries. In 2025, Buxton played well. While he still only appeared in 126 games, the Twins outfielder slashed .264/.327/.551 and hit 35 home runs while also stealing 24 bases.
So, will Buxton have another big season in 2026?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt goes without saying, but he will need to stay healthy. That's obviously the biggest priority. If Buxton is able to participate in a full season, then there is certainly reason to believe that he can have another big all-around performance.
Byron Buxton's 2026 OutlookSome players have good seasons as a result of luck. While Buxton did have a .302 BABip (batting average on balls in play), that was not the reason for all of his success.
Buxton hit the baseball as hard as ever last year. His 53.9 hard-hit percentage was the best mark of his career. It also ranked in the 96th percentile.
Buxton also hit the ball in the air on a fairly consistent basis, turning in a 34.7 fly ball percentage. When you combine hitting the ball extremely hard with a lot of fly balls, home runs are often the result.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe also ranked in the 96th percentile in barrel percentage, 92nd percentile in average exit velocity and 88th percentile in bat speed.
Why are those numbers sustainable? They were not a product of luck.
Buxton clearly found an approach that worked and he took advantage. While he will need to strike out less and walk more (11th percentile in strikeout percentage, 42nd percentile in walk percentage) to become a legitimate MVP candidate, what Buxton accomplished last year cements him as a legitimate MLB All-Star.
Unless he changes his approach, Buxton should be able to find similar results. And if he plays in more than 126 games, he could have an even better overall season. The idea of Buxton stealing 30 bases and hitting 40 home runs across 140 games is realistic given how he played in 2025. In fact, he could have even better numbers than a 40/30 campaign.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Twins may have a down year. In all reality, it would be surprising if they end up competing. Byron Buxton, however, may be on the verge of having one of the best seasons of his entire big league career.
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