FORT MYERS, Fla. — From the moment he made his highly-anticipated debut, Byron Buxton has been cementing himself as a fan favorite around Twins Territory. It’s no surprise; he’s dynamic athlete with the ability to make highlight reel catches at any moment, dazzle with speed and flash the power.

Count new Twins outfielder Harrison Bader among his many fans.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve asked him for multiple autographs in the past just because I admire his game so much,” said Bader, who now has a locker next to Buxton’s at Hammond Stadium.

Bader, 30, is eager to learn from Buxton as the two play alongside each other. Both Gold Glove Award winners, Bader will man Buxton’s familiar spot in center field when he needs a day off and shift to a corner in place of Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner when the Twins are facing a left-hander.

Whatever role Bader has, he said, is good with him. The Twins this month signed the outfielder to a one-year, $6.25 million guaranteed contract with a mutual option for next season earlier. He presence alongside Buxton should make the Twins’ outfield defense among the game’s best.

While he primarily has been in center, manager Rocco Baldelli said Bader would get his feet wet in left field this spring more than right given that there’s a much bigger playing surface there at Target Field.

“I think putting one of the best outfielders in the game in left field as opposed to right makes some sense,” Baldelli said.

That’s good with Bader, who said he played a lot of corner outfield when he was younger and when he was at college at the University of Florida. One of the reasons he thinks he’s able to make good reads in center is his previous experience manning the corners.

“I’m just excited,” he said. “I want to put a uniform on and I want to help this team win, and if that’s going to come in left field however often as it does, then so be it. But I’m here to play and I’m here to win.”

Bader comes to the Twins after playing last season with the Mets. In his one season in Queens, he hit .236 with a .657 OPS and 12 home runs in 143 games. His overall numbers dipped near the end of the season. In the final 50 games, he hit just .153.

“It has to do with the work, it has to do with the mental side and the confidence of continuing to repeat,” he said. “The guys who really do well are the guys who keep (it) the same, keep the same routine, keep the same mental approach, and they keep the same level of confidence and poise about the game.

“I think at the end of last year, the last month-and-a-half or so, I maybe fell off a little bit with a couple of those categories, which might have (contributed) to some down numbers.”

After a longer free agency process than in his past, Bader said he chose the Twins because of the opportunity he had in front of him. And that opportunity will pair him next to a player he has looked up to for years.

“I ended up in a really good spot,” he said. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity. I have a lot of experience watching a lot of guys in this clubhouse that I respect tremendously, so I’m excited to be on this side of the field with them.”

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