As of Sunday's series win over the Guardians, the Twins have completed the first quarter of the 2026 season with an 18-23 (.439) record. They're a last-place team in MLB's worst division and on pace for 91 losses, following the same script over and over again: flammable bullpen, leaky defense, streaky clutch hitting.
There's been plenty to criticize from an opening quarter that often wasn't pretty, and I wouldn't blame (rightfully) frustrated fans for focusing on that. But it's also worth highlighting the players who were rare bright spots during the Twins' first 41 games. Here are six of them.
Byron Buxton
Buxton is healthy and thriving, starting 38 of 41 games and hitting .259/.313/.556 with 13 homers and a 137 OPS+ that ranks second to Mike Trout among American League center fielders. Even at 32, he remains one of the league's fastest players and best defenders, which is especially remarkable given his injury history.