Twins announce winners of franchise's annual Diamond Awards

The Twins revealed the 2025 winners of their annual Diamond Awards on Wednesday. Each award was voted on by writers who cover the team, as well as the board of directors of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. The winners will be celebrated during TwinsFest Live! at Target Field in January.

Here's the list of winners, as well as some of our quick thoughts on each award.

Most Valuable Twin: Byron Buxton

There could be no other choice. Buxton had an incredible season, the best of his career, and was clearly the team's most valuable player. It's a shame his memorable 2025 campaign was spent on a team that fell out of playoff contention in July.

Defensive Player of the Year: Byron Buxton

Probably also a sensible choice. By the eye test, Buxton remains an unbelievable defender in center field. However, various advanced metrics didn't exactly love his season from a defensive standpoint. The two highest-regarded Twins in those metrics, Harrison Bader and Ty France, were traded away, so they weren't going to win this. A case could be made for Christian Vazquez, but giving it to Buxton makes sense.

Pitcher of the Year: Joe Ryan

Another slam dunk. Ryan was easily the Twins' best pitcher this season, making his first career All-Star appearance after an incredible second half. He faded a bit down the stretch but still put up very impressive season-long numbers. Pablo Lopez didn't pitch enough to be in contention for this award, and Jhoan Duran was traded away.

Twins Outstanding Rookie: Luke Keaschall

There was no competition for this one, either. Even though Keaschall missed significant time, he was still the only Twins rookie to have at least 120 plate appearances. And when he was on the field, he was absolutely electric. Zebby Matthews would probably be the distant runner-up here despite his 5.56 ERA.

Most Improved Twin: Austin Martin

This award going to Martin is...reasonable? He boosted his OPS from .670 last season to .740 in 2025 and also became a much better defender. He wasn't amazing for the Twins in his 50 games this year, but he was certainly serviceable. And it's hard to think of who else would fit in this category.

Kody Clemens was clearly the most improved player on the team, but he may not have been eligible since this was his first season with the Twins. A case could perhaps be made for Simeon Woods Richardson, but his numbers were pretty similar in 2024 and '25. The answer I might've gone with is Joe Ryan after his breakout year, but he did win a different award.

Others

Bob Allison Award: Pablo Lopez (given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field)
Community Service Award: Brooks Lee
“Media Good Guy” Award: Ryan Jeffers (for second straight year)