Despite switching positions, Twins outfielder Harrison Bader is excelling defensively

MINNEAPOLIS Harrison Bader has found a new love interest, and he digs the variety.

For the first time since 2015, Bader isnt patrolling center field, a position in which he earned a Gold Glove Award in 2021.

He agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins in February worth $6.5 million, knowing it would require a move to left field to accommodate Byron Buxton, the teams center fielder for nearly a decade.

Advertisement With nearly a quarter of the season complete, Bader is demonstrating hes more than capable of handling the switch he was named the American Leagues defensive player of the month Thursday and that he appreciates the nuances associated with it.

I was just excited to attack the workload and attack the difference in positions, Bader said.

It was something I was really looking forward to diving into.

Its like having a new girlfriend.

Sometimes you forget how nice it is to see and experience something new.

The Twins love what theyve seen from Bader, who arguably has been the teams most valuable player.

Baders 1.2 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, edges out Buxtons 1.1, while FanGraphs has the pair flip-flopped by a similar margin.

Either way, Baders defensive skills have helped the Twins, off to a 15-20 start, from collapsing into a total mess.

As of Monday morning, Bader leads all MLB position players in Total Runs Saved, according to Sports Info Solutions.

The publication named Bader the ALs most valuable defender for March and April on Thursday, with the National League honor going to the Chicago Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Bader leads all outfielders (and position players) with a combined 7 Defensive Runs Saved, according to FanGraphs.

Even though the Twins outfielders have been teammates for less than three months, Baders defensive success doesnt surprise Buxton, who won a Platinum Glove in 2017.

He got a Gold Glove for a reason, Buxton said.

I just enjoy watching him be himself.

He didnt have to come over and try to change.

He takes chances.

We communicate quite well and back each other up.

He understands, and so do I, to take that chance for the ball because you know were going to have that backup.

Its fun to have another guy over there that goes after the ball, plays aggressive and plays hard.

Advertisement The difference between center and left field where Bader has played 170 1/3 of 241 1/3 innings this season is vast.

For starters, with a picture-perfect view of home plate, the center fielder sees the entire game and gets better reads on the balls spin off a bat and the angle at which its hit.

Balls hit to left field often come with different spin than Bader encountered in center, whether its a right-handed hitter pulling a ball toward the line or a left-handed hitter slicing and dumping balls into shallow left.

With each day, Bader gets more accustomed to a view he hadnt routinely experienced since the 2015 season at the University of Florida, when he played 66 of 67 games in left.

Bader played 13 games in left field and 41 in right in his first two big-league seasons and had exclusively played center since the start of 2019 before joining the Twins.

Its drastically different, Bader said.

Its just understanding how the ball comes off the bat.

You just get better through repetition.

When Bader camps under a routine fly ball, his feet are always moving, as if hes pedaling a bicycle.

He said his footwork is one of the nuances his father taught him about playing the outfield after realizing hed never be an infielder because of his difficulties fielding groundballs.

Bader plays left field with an aggressive mindset, which leads to him risking it all for the chance to make diving grabs.

Hes already turned in a handful this season, rewarding his pitcher nearly every time hes laid out.

Another aspect of Baders game is his ability to cut off balls headed for the corner, which has resulted in two batters being held to singles on hits that often go for doubles.

With a good read and a strong, accurate arm, Bader can race to the line, quickly retrieve the ball and fire it in, preventing runners from reaching scoring position.

Advertisement Hes crushing it out there, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Even if you have a little bit of experience, even if youre a really good instinctual outfielder, to move to a different spot on the field and play it that well, it is impressive.

I dont think hes surprised himself.

I think he kind of demands it of himself as a defender, especially.

But this is why we wanted him.

Bader said balls hit in front of him and to his left are the hardest to gauge.

Even so, one of his recent highlight plays involved him racing in, diving to his left and stealing a hit.

Two days later, Bader, back in center to provide Buxton with a day off, raced back on a ball and made a diving grab at the warning track to take away an extra-base hit.

I got myself acquainted with the grass, Bader said.

I started to understand the flow, the speed, the spin, and all of those things excited me because it was new territory that I havent really dove into since college.

Attacking that challenge head-on is always what I wanted to do.

I want to lead in every defensive category.

I just want to do it because its so helpful to our pitchers and it keeps me going, locked in.

Bader is hitting .280/.362/.419 with three homers and 14 RBIs, good for a 120 OPS+.

The production is an added bonus for the Twins, given Bader entered the season with a career 92 OPS+.

(A 100 OPS+ is league average.) When hes not hitting, Bader quickly dismisses his disappointment and concentrates on his defensive efforts.

Bader said he briefly allows himself to be upset after a rough at-bat, but makes certain his defensive focus returns by the time he experiences his second and third emotions.

If anything, its more of a driver to go out and make a play on defense, Bader said.

Ive always said: When Im not getting hits, no ones getting hits, and when Im getting hits, youre still not getting hits.

Advertisement Buxton likes how well the two award winners communicate.

Even though hes never played the position, Buxton knows playing left field at Target Field is more difficult than center because the parks lights affect visibility on fly balls.

He also recognizes the difference in how the ball spins off the bat and all the other adjustments Bader is making as he gains experience in left field.

Theres a lot of new things to deal with corners, but he makes it look natural, Buxton said.

Its something I dont take for granted.

Its fun watching him out there.

Lewis to debut, Castro returns too The Twins announced the return of slugger Royce Lewis to the lineup Monday morning ahead of Tuesdays game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Out since March 16 with a left hamstring strain, Lewis is set to make his 2025 debut.

The Twins hope Lewis can provide the same jolt hes supplied in previous returns to the lineup after his extensive injuries.

On multiple occasions, Lewis has homered in his first game back, whether it was from a torn ACL, a hamstring injury in the 2023 playoffs or even after suffering a devastating quad injury in 2024.

Lewis providing a similar spark would be welcomed by a Twins offense that has scored three or fewer runs 17 times in the teams first 35 games.

Willi Castro, out since April 16 with a right oblique strain, also can play a big role after being activated Monday.

The teams reigning most valuable player had 48 extra-base hits and 60 RBIs last season as he earned an All-Star nod.

(Photo: Matt Krohn / Associated Press).

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