Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton Wins AL Player of the Week

The Minnesota Twins have endured an up and down season, but Byron Buxton has performed well in recent action. On Monday, the Twins announced that Buxton earned the American League Player of the Week honor for this past week.

Buxton hit .345 with a 1.303 OPS, five home runs and seven RBIs. The 32-year-old is having a strong season overall. The Twins ended up going 3-4 for the week. Despite their up and down performance, Buxton clearly made a difference. Hitting five home runs in one week is an especially impressive feat.

Buxton, a two-time All-Star, has recorded a slash line of .254/.313/.530 across 32 games played so far in 2026. He has also hit 10 home runs so far this season. The outfielder is coming off of a 2025 campaign that saw him hit .264/.327/.551 with a career-best 35 home runs.

Buxton has always featured the potential of a superstar. The consistency has not always been present as he has dealt with injury trouble throughout his career. When healthy, Buxton is one of the better players in the game.

It will be interesting to see if he emerges as a trade candidate before the deadline later this season. The Twins are currently 15-20 and in last place in the American League Central standings. They are only three games back of first place in the division, but the Twins are not expected to compete for a postseason spot this year.

For now, the focus is on the team's upcoming games. The trade speculation will begin fairly soon, though. Trade rumors heat up in June and become more realistic in July.

What's Next for the Twins?

The Twins are not playing on Monday. Their next contest is scheduled for Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals on the road. Tuesday's matchup will represent the first of a three-game series.

Minnesota will then travel to Cleveland to play the Guardians in a three-game series. Cleveland is currently tied for the lead in the American League Central division, so that should be a big series for the Twins.