Byron Buxton officially named to Team USA World Baseball Classic roster

The Buck Truck will be officially making his World Baseball Classic debut in 2026.

Sep 20, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Byron Buxton (25) celebrates a single against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of game two of a double header at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Twins star Byron Buxton was officially named to the Team USA World Baseball Classic roster on Monday morning.

Byron Buxton 🤝 Team USA

The @Twins outfielder is joining the squad for the World Baseball Classic! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Ut6FXE0TeO

— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) January 12, 2026

Buxton was part of the preliminary roster in December, according to multiple reports, but it was confirmed that he would officially play in the event on Monday. He joins Joe Ryan as the only other Twins player on the roster, alongside other American superstars such as Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Gunnar Henderson.

The tournament will take place in the spring, March 5-17, with 20 international baseball teams participating. The event last took place in 2023, and it featured a thrilling finale between the USA and Japan, with Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout to clinch the title for Japan.

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MLB spring training will begin on Feb. 20, so Buxton and Ryan are expected to miss most of that period before opening day on Thursday, March 26 against the Orioles. Buxton is coming off one of his healthiest and most productive seasons as a pro. He finished 2025 with a .264 average, 35 home runs and 82 RBIs. He will look to carry that momentum in 2026, as he just turned 32 years old in December.

Minnesota sent eight players to represent three different nations at the last World Baseball Classic. Jose De Leon, Jorge Lopez, Jovani Moran, Emilio Pagan, Dereck Rodriguez, and Christian Vazquez all represented Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Pablo Lopez starred for Venezuela, and Eddy Julien played for Canada. Many of the other nations' rosters have not yet been finalized, so it will be worth monitoring how many Twins players suit up for other countries.