Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
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Minnesota was the home of the first All-Star Week Home Run Derby in 1985, as Tom Brunansky took second while mashing dingers in the Metrodome. In 2008, Justin Morneau also made it to the big stage of the derby.
Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton reveals the emotional story behind his Home Run Derby bat and how youth baseball saved his spirit.
With the Minnesota Twins entering the All-Star break at 47-49 and in second place in the AL Central, there's reason to believe they'll decide against trying to contend for a title this season and instead look to trade away some pieces at the month's end.
As Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton stepped up to the plate on Monday night for the Home Run Derby, the stage couldn’t have been more perfect
"I can't be traded," Buxton said. "I've got a no-trade clause. I'm a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life. So that's the best feeling in the world knowing that I get to walk into a clubhouse and it's gonna say Twins for the rest of my life."
Alas, Phillies fans may want to turn their eyes to other outfielders. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported on Monday night that Buxton, a lifelong Twin, has no plans of waiving his no-trade clause. “I’m a Twin,” Buxton told Heyman.
Pretty much every kid who swung a bat in the state of Georgia in the 1990s idolized Chipper Jones. The switch-hitting, smooth-fielding, do-it-all MVP of the dynasty-era Atlanta Braves inspired a generation of young ballplayers.
Buxton is 31, owed around $45 million from 2026-28 for a team that counts pennies, and has dealt with wrist, thumb, groin, head, toe, shoulder, hip, hand, and knee injuries, just to name a few, which too often have hindered one of the most-hyped prospects ever in an 11-year career.