Best Mets center fielder candidates: Ranking five of the most enticing options

3) Byron Buxton

Should the Mets not explore any of the previous four options mentioned there is one game-changing player in Minnesota who could be looking for a change of scenery this offseason. He goes by the name of Byron Buxton.

The former second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft has failed to meet the enormous expectations that have preceded him before making an official Major League at-bat for the Minnesota Twins. For the most part, those expectations have not been met due to Buxton’s injury history, but when he has been on the field he has proven he can be a truly elite option in center field for the Twins.

There also have been some clashes between Buxton and the organization which may have reached a boil after Buxton was inexplicably benched but brought in late as a pinch-runner in game two of the Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros. The Twins also have a glut of outfielders in which they can afford to make Buxton expendable this offseason.

Buxton is a previous Gold Glove Award winner back in 2017 and while he is a career .238 hitter, that doesn’t even begin to explain the amount of untapped potential that Buxton possesses. This past season the 26-year old center fielder hit .254 with 13 home runs with 27 RBI’s in 39 games played. This is the type of change of scenery move that could benefit the Mets in the long run and could give the Mets a young and talented center fielder, as long as he stays healthy, can become one of the top players at his position for years to come.