The World Baseball Classic is just around the corner. Rosters are being finalized, and teams will start exhibition games in spring training before heading to their respective sites. With that said, Team USA is looking like a powerhouse in the tournament. The home country’s team just added one more great player to the mix, as well.
According to the MLB’s official X account, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins will be playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring. This will be Buxton’s first time participating in the event.
The former Gold Glove outfielder will join captain Aaron Judge, two-time MVP Bryce Harper, AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, and both Cy Youngs from 2025 (Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes), amongst others.
Byron Buxton Joins Joe Ryan On Team USA
GettyByron Buxton and Joe Ryan will represent the Minnesota Twins at the WBC.
Buxton will not be the only member of the Twins playing for Team USA. It was announced that Joe Ryan will take the bump for the Americans back in December.
Ryan will be one of the starting pitchers for the team. The aces will be Skubal and Skenes, of course, but Ryan is not far behind the two. He is coming off his first All-Star selection in 2025. The right-hander had a 3.42 ERA over 171.0 innings pitched for the Twins. He may not be at the level of Skenes and Skubal, but he deserves an equal amount of respect on Team USA.
Buxton is coming off his second All-Star selection in 2025. The center fielder slashed .264/.327/.551 with 35 home runs, 83 RBI, and 24 stolen bases last season. His 126 games played were the most since his third year in the MLB. Additionally, his home runs and RBI were both career-highs for him.
Injuries have plagued Buxton throughout his career, but he is one of the best outfielders in the sport when healthy. The Twins will need their center fielder to remain healthy in 2026, but this is a massive opportunity for the 32-year-old.
Byron Buxton’s Position For Team USA
GettyByron Buxton is coming off a career-best season in 2025.
It is tough to say how manager Mark DeRosa will use Buxton at this year’s World Baseball Classic. The other three committed outfielders are Pete Crow-Armstrong, Aaron Judge, and Corbin Carroll. Now, it would not be surprising to see DeRosa roll with four outfielders for the tournament, but adding a fifth would also make sense.
There is room for two more players on the roster in terms of position players. Adding one infielder and one outfielder is the most logical scenario. But DeRosa was a utility-type player in his time on the field, so he could add one of those, considering their value.
No matter the case, Buxton should get his chance to start a few games. There are always matchups to be played, and the Team USA outfield consists of two left-handed and two right-handed hitters at the moment.
In terms of position, PCA is the only other center fielder on the roster. Judge should man right field, while Carroll will stay in left field. Playing the matchups with Buxton and PCA would be the most logical course of action. It is also worth noting that Buxton has only ever played center field in his Major League career.
There is no wrong choice in whatever DeRosa decides to do. But having Buxton on the team is a massive positive for Team USA.
Twins’ Byron Buxton Makes World Baseball Classic Announcement