Baxley native and Minnesota Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton had the rare opportunity to play in his home state of Georgia – in the MLB Home Run Derby and All Star Game at the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park no less – and he did not disappoint.
Buxton, 31, made his second All Star game this year (the first was in 2022) and, thanks to a 21-home run first half of 2025, participated in the Home Run Derby for the first time in his career.
Buxton came into the All Star festivities on a high note. As if this season wasn’t already impressive enough, he capped the first half of the year hitting for the cycle in Target Field on Saturday, July 12 – the first time anyone has hit for the cycle at the ball park since it opened in 2010. Buxton entered the All Star weekend with 21 home runs, 56 RBI, and a .289 batting average.
In the Home Run Derby, Buxton advanced to the second round with 20, including a seven home run explosion to close out the round. His longest was 466 feet and his hardest hit ball left Truist Park at 112 mph.
In the second round, he squared off against Junior Caminero, who had an impressive first round of his own. Buxton got off to a slow start in round two but finished with a flurry, eventually tallying seven. Caminero, however, picked up where he left off in the first round and topped Buxton with eight. (Caminero would eventually finish second in the Derby behind eventual winner and MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh.)
But Buxton wasn’t done. In the main event – Tuesday night’s All Star Game – Buxton came in during the seventh inning. He lined out in his first at-bat but he came to the plate again in the ninth with the American League trailing 6-4 and with one out. He doubled to right then scored on a Bobby Witt Jr. double. After Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to Matt Olson at first for the second out of the inning, Witt scored on an infield single from Steven Kwan. The Buxton-led rally tied the game at six and forced the first-ever home run swing-off in All Star Game history. Fueled by Kyle Schwarber’s perfect three-home run turn at the plate, the National League won the game 7-6.
Buxton begins the second half of the season as the subject of various trade rumors. However, he has a no-trade clause and is adamant that he wants to remain a Twin for the entirety of his career.