Byron Buxton Has Already Been Worth His Contract

It’s clear that the injury bug was very present for Buxton, and the early returns when it comes to games played after he signed the extension weren’t great either. In the first two years of the deal, Buxton played in just 177 of 324 possible games.

Some people may wonder what inclined the Twins to hand out this contract if Buxton was so rarely on the field, but in reality, it’s quite simple. If he could have a healthy season, his upside would be up there with that of the best players in baseball.

In his one qualified season early in his career (2017), Buxton was awesome. He was a 4.4-win player (according to FanGraphs), and that was before he really started swinging the bat (92 wRC+).

In 2019, we got our first taste of what Buxton could be. In just 87 games, he slashed .262/.314/.513. It was the first season in which he was an above-average big league bat (112 wRC+).

However, it wasn’t until 2021 that he gave us a glimpse of what could be a true MVP candidate if he were able to stay healthy. It was also one of the main driving points for Minnesota handing out this type of money.

In only 61 games, which is just over a third of a season, Buxton posted an absurd 4.1 fWAR with a wRC+ of 171 and an OPS of 1.005. He hit 19 home runs, a career-high at the time, which would have put him on pace for around 50 home runs if extended across a full season.

He had put up what would be a career season for most players in just 61 games. Quite frankly, it makes a lot of sense why the Twins were willing to dish out this type of money, despite Buxton missing a ton of time.

Is Buxton…Underpaid?

Now, the last two seasons, 2024 and 2025, are when Buxton has proven that he’s worth this contract and possibly more. He’s finally been relatively healthy – 102 games in 2024 and 109 so far in 2025 – and it’s starting to look like the Twins got a discount for the now 31-year-old.

Throughout this period, he’s been not just one of the best outfielders but one of the best players in baseball.

Numbers like this put a player in conversations with the best of the best. It’s not just a hot stretch for Buxton, either. It’s an elite player finally getting the opportunity to play baseball at full health for extended periods of time.

Based on the tools, we all knew Buxton was capable of this. It was just a matter of whether his body would ever give him the chance. Well, he’s finally getting the chance and taking full advantage of it.

Here are some fun details from Buxton’s 2024-25 totals:

• He has been more valuable (in terms of fWAR) than Bryce Harper, Dansby Swanson, and Mookie Betts, who all make more money than Buxton.

• He has more home runs than Kyle Tucker, Elly De La Cruz, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Alex Bregman.

• He has a higher wRC+ than Corey Seager, José Ramírez, Cal Raleigh, and Francisco Lindor.

• He has a higher OPS than Brent Rooker, Rafael Devers, Freddie Freeman, and Gunnar Henderson.

Final Thoughts

After years of “what ifs” and injuries, the Twins’ gamble on Buxton’s upside looks like one of their smarter moves in recent memory. What once felt like a risky $100 million investment has started to look like an absolute bargain, as his recent production has him up there with the best in the game.

The extension was never about paying for his past, but betting on the potential. Now that Buxton has been able to stay on the field more consistently, we’re seeing that potential being maximized.

If he continues at this rate, we won’t be talking about whether he was worth the deal, but about how Byron Buxton has become one of the most underrated and arguably underpaid players in the game.