Ranking Buxton’s 2025 WAR season against Twins’ best of last 40 years

Byron Buxton just had one of the best seasons of his career, setting career-highs in homers (35), triples (7), hits (129), RBI (83), runs (97), and walks (41). He was named an All-Star for the second time, and he totaled the second-highest single-season WAR in his career.

But did you know that the 4.9 WAR Buxton produced this season in 129 games is identical to the 4.9 WAR he produced in just 61 games in 2021? That's how good Buxton was before injuries wrecked his 2021 season, when he slashed .306/.358/.647 with 19 homers and 23 doubles.

The point of this data is to note that, as good as Buxton was this season, he didn't reach his potential, and his 2025 WAR ranks tied for 14th among Twins offensive players in the last 40 seasons.

Here are the top 10 single-season WAR leaders for the Twins since 1986.

1. 8.7, Chuck Knoblauch (1996)
2. 7.8, Joe Mauer (2009), Kirby Puckett (1988)
3. 7.1, Kirby Puckett (1992)
4. 6.8, Chuck Knoblauch (1997)
5. 6.7, Chuck Knoblauch (1995)
6. 6.3, Corey Koskie (2001)
7. 5.9, Joe Mauer (2010)
8. 5.8, Gary Gaetti (1986), Joe Mauer (2006), Brian Dozier (2016)
9. 5.7, Kirby Puckett (1986)
10. 5.6, Joe Mauer (2008)
11. 5.5, Jacque Jones (2002), Joe Mauer (2013), Brian Dozier (2014)
12. 5.3, Joe Mauer (2008), Carlos Correa (2022)
13. 5.0, Byron Buxton (2017), Shane Mack (1991), Jorge Polanco (2021)
14. 4.9, Byron Buxton (2025, 2021), Kirby Puckett (1989), Denard Span (2012)
15. 4.8, Jorge Polanco (2021), Denard Span (2012), Christian Guzman (2001)

Knoblauch, occupying three of the top six Twins WAR seasons over the past 40 years, might surprise some, but he was a do-it-all stud in the mid-1990s. In 1995, Knoblauch slashed .341/.448/.517 (.965 OPS) with 197 hits, including 13 homers, 35 doubles, and 14 triples. He added 45 stolen bases, 98 walks, 72 RBI, and 140 runs. His 1995 season was nearly as good, and he was solid in 1997, though not in the same stratosphere as he was in '95 and '96.

Puckett's best statistical seasons were the years after the Twins won the World Series (1987 and 1991). In 1988, Puckett led the majors with 234 hits while batting .356 with 24 homers, 42 doubles, and 121 RBI. In 1992, Puckett led the majors with 210 hits while hitting .329 with 19 homers, 38 doubles, and 110 RBI.

Mauer's MVP season in 2009 ranks third on the list. In 138 games, Mauer led the league in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444), slugging percentage (.587), and OPS (1.031). He slugged 28 homers and 30 doubles while driving in a career-high 96 runs.

In all, there have been eight Twins players since 1986 with a higher single-season WAR than Buxton, including the likes of Brian Dozier, Gary Gaetti, Carlos Correa, and Jacque Jones.

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