Twins’ Byron Buxton is younger at 30 than he was at 29

FORT MYERS, FLA. - Byron Buxton walks through the clubhouse at Hammond Stadium, having just returned from a photo shoot, and stands next to his locker stall. A question about his future is asked, and he leans against the wall and raises his eyebrows.

Would he prefer to be dragged off the field at the end of his career, forcing someone, a manager, a coach, an executive, to inform him that his time is up?

That would show that he got as much out of his talent as he could.

Or would he prefer to end this career on his own terms?

That would show that he wants to retire before the game passes him by. Or it would show that he wants to be a full-time father and husband. Or both.

Buxton hesitates briefly.

“I’m definitely leaving on my own terms,” he says. “For me, my boys are most important. So I’m not going to let this game drag me down to where I can’t enjoy them.”

“I Iove this game. I love this game when I’m playing,” he adds. “But when it comes to that time ... I’m going to sit on this couch, and I’m going to catch my little boys’ travel team. That’s it.”

Twins Territory has obsessed over Buxton’s present and past. His narrative is dominated by injuries, recoveries and an annual offseason goal to find a training routine that will end the madness. Consequently, fans have only seen him play in installments.

Other than in 2017, when he played 140 games, the Twins haven’t seen what Buxton can do over what was close to a full season. And 2017 was seven years ago.

Last year, a twist: 85 games played, but all from the designated hitter position because of an injury to his right knee. The all-time great center fielder never took the field.

But Buxton has now turned 30. This will be his 10th season in the majors. Crossing these thresholds causes reflection, and also considerations of legacy and longevity.

Things change over the years. It’s not out of the question that he could finally stack a few years of healthy baseball, providing the Twins the production they expected.

How well can Buxton play? How much can he play? And how long will he play?

“When this contract is over, my oldest boy will be 15,” Buxton said. “He has been with me since I started pro ball. So, where’s his childhood at? ... There’s little stuff like that. I’m not there right now, but ... that could change in a few years.”

Spring training breeds optimism. The Twins head for an AL Central Division title defense with what they believe is robust offensive potential. They didn’t adequately replace righthander Sonny Gray, who signed with St. Louis as a free agent, but they believe their offense and a deeper bullpen will make up for any departures.

One reason they expect the offense to surge: Buxton, smiling throughout training camp, his laugh bouncing around in the clubhouse. He has been more visible in the clubhouse than in recent years; he’s not in the trainer’s room seeking treatment or headed somewhere for an exam.

He was just a 0.7 WAR because he wasn’t himself. He was asked if he felt like a zero at times.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding.

The knee injury kept him off the field, and his defense is a key factor in what makes Buxton an All-Star level player when healthy. He was just that in 2022, starting in center field for the AL All-Stars at Dodger Stadium and hitting a home run that night into the July sky.

“You’re basically taking away everything I love to do, which makes it hard for me to go on the offensive side and do the things I wanted to do there,” Buxton said. “And I couldn’t separate them.

“I’m always 100 when I’m in center. If you won’t let me hit, I’ve got something else for you.”

Byron Buxton’s career statistics

He has worked on breaking himself of the bad habits he fell into while compensating for the knee over the last couple of years. Except for a sore back last week, he’s been on schedule. He’s running as if his knee is not giving him any problems. He legged out a triple in early March without running full-throttle. On Wednesday, he easily beat out an infield hit while cruising across the first base bag.

While his expectations are high, observers will reserve judgment until he plays into the season. The more he stays on the field, the easier it will be to wonder if the best seasons of his career are yet to come.

The favorite son of Baxley, Ga., has come a long way since 2013, when the 19-year-old would end every answer with a “Yes, sir,” or “No, ma’am.” It was that year, in Fort Myers, when the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft — one pick after Houston selected Carlos Correa No. 1 — was called over from the minor league side to play in a spring training game and met Minnesota reporters for the first time.

This is the same Buxton who one offseason decided to eat nothing but chicken to stay healthy. He spent a different offseason in the gym, putting on 20 pounds of muscle. It takes years for some athletes to find a program that best works for them.

All of this is designed to give him the best chance of staying on the field and playing the way he wants to play. Those three growing boys are eating well, too.

Buxton is convinced there are healthy seasons to come. He nodded optimistically as he talked about former Twins like Torii Hunter and Paul Molitor, who found ways to be successful into their late 30s.

In this moment, though, Buxton says he needs to get back to full-time work before he ponders his longevity.

“For me, it’s all about being present and being available every day,” he said. “If I do that, that means I’m playing. The only way I can do that is to make sure I’m doing all I’m supposed to be doing in here and in the recovery room, not overdoing things or overthinking.”

There is nothing normal about Byron Buxton’s baseball career, but he’s been working this winter and spring to find something that is closer to that. That goes for his home life, too.