PHILADELPHIA — When Byron Buxton sits down this winter and reflects on his season, perhaps the number that will stick out to him the most is 126.
More important than the home runs — he hit a career-high 35 of them — or the 24 stolen bases, or any other stat from his all-star season, counts as much to Buxton and the Twins as the 126 games he was able to play this season.
That number represents the second-most Buxton has played in any single season in his career. He missed time for a concussion and ribcage inflammation this season, but neither ailment sidelined him for long.
“I just need to play. My numbers will be there. I don’t care about my numbers this year. I just want to play,” Buxton said. “Post up every day, be there for my teammates, play the majority of my time in center field, not DHing. That makes a difference, too. For me, being able to post up, that’s my biggest feeling, because I haven’t been able to.”
Buxton, who slashed .264/.327/.551 this year and was a five-win player, per FanGraphs, was out in center field for 118 of those 126 games. He made his second All-Star Game and participated the night before in the Home Run Derby in his home state of Georgia.
Though the team finished with 92 losses and the second-worst record in the American League, Buxton reaffirmed his loyalty to the Twins multiple times, both before and after the trade deadline.
“It is strange,” he said of having a career season while the team struggled. “I guess I just simplified it to take it one day at a time. Just be grateful to put this uniform on. Can’t play forever. I’ve definitely got to cherish every day I can.”
Now, Buxton will head into his second straight healthy offseason. Rather than recovering from surgery or spending his winter days in and out of physical therapy sessions, he can simply focus his attention on preparing for next season, building off of one of the best individual years in his career.
“He aced the test this season,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “That’s what he did.”
Rotation shines
The Twins’ starting rotation saved its best for last.
The group of six turned in some of their strongest individual performances, ending Sunday with Simeon Woods Richardson, who threw six shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out nine.
“I thought we did a really good job of throwing the ball, throwing strikes, executing,” Woods Richardson said. “I think all of us starters went six. That’s huge for a rotation. … That’s what we want in a starting rotation.”
Well, almost all of them.
Joe Ryan gave up one earned run in five innings on Friday before Mick Abel, traded over from the Phillies at the deadline for Jhoan Duran, put up a six-inning shutout performance with nine strikeouts Saturday.
Those performances against one of baseball’s best offenses came after Zebby Matthews threw seven innings of one-run ball against the Texas Rangers, Taj Bradley gave up just a run in six innings against Texas, and Bailey Ober threw six scoreless.
“It might be the best stretch of pitching over a course of a week that we got all year,” Baldelli said. “I think that’s precisely what you’re hoping for. It’s showing everyone just what the group is capable of when they’re throwing the ball the way we want.”
Briefly
A division race that Detroit seemed to have well in hand for much of the season wound up coming down to the season’s final day with the Cleveland Guardians clinching the American League Central after their dramatic late-season comeback. Those teams now meet in the wild-card round this week in Cleveland. … Former Twin Michael A. Taylor, the team’s center fielder in 2023, announced his retirement on Sunday. Taylor played 12 major league seasons, winning a World Series ring in 2019 with Washington.
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