Buxton is set to take his talents to the international stage for the first time in his career.
According to BBWAA writer Francys Romero, Byron Buxton has been named to Team USA's preliminary roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The announcement came during the Winter Meetings in Orlando and marks a major milestone for the 31-year-old outfielder, who has never competed in the tournament before.
A Career Year Opens New Doors
The timing could not be better for Buxton, who is coming off what many consider the best season of his career.
In 2025, he played in 126 games for the Minnesota Twins and set career highs across the board with 35 home runs, 83 RBI, and 97 runs scored.
He also added 24 stolen bases without being caught and slashed .264/.327/.551 for an impressive .878 OPS with a 136 OPS+.
On July 12, Buxton hit for the first cycle in Target Field history, which also happened to be his bobblehead giveaway night at the stadium.
His standout season earned him his first career Silver Slugger Award and proved that when healthy, he remains one of the most dangerous players in baseball.
Despite his personal success, the Twins struggled as a team and finished the 2025 season with a 70-92 record, placing fourth in the AL Central.
The team underwent a major shake-up at the trade deadline, moving 11 players off the 40-man roster in what many called a fire sale.
What Buxton Brings to Team USA
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa expressed excitement about the possibility of adding Buxton to the roster and said he has known the outfielder since he was 16 years old.
"It's time for the world to see him," DeRosa said. "He's been nicked up by injuries. He's healthy now. He just hit 35, 36 jacks. It's kind of time for the world to see him run around in center field, in my opinion."
General manager Michael Hill echoed those thoughts and pointed to Buxton's unique skill set as a key factor in his selection.
"A Byron Buxton type just checks so many boxes," Hill said. "He has speed, great defender, a right-handed bat to potentially complement some of the other pieces. Definitely someone under serious consideration for us as he should be because he's one of the great players in our country."
Buxton would join an outfield that already includes three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge, Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 World Baseball Classic runs from March 5-17, with pool play taking place in Miami, Houston, San Juan, and Tokyo.
Team USA will look to avenge their 2023 finals loss to Japan, where Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout for the final out.
Buxton has made it clear that Minnesota is home and he plans to remain a Twin for life. Now he gets the chance to show the world what Twins fans have known all along.