Monday, September 28

ARLINGTON – Byron Buxton made his second All-Star team last year, but he’s still only started the Midsummer Classic once. At the moment, he’s doing all he can to double that number.

Buxton is as hot as any hitter on the planet, following up his Player of the Week honors from June 8-14 with a homer on Monday and a single and three runs scored on Tuesday. His 23 home runs rank second in the American League (Yordan Alvarez, 24), and that’s after a slow start to the season that can probably be partly attributed to Buxton's limited playing time in the World Baseball Classic.

As of Monday’s ballot update, he stood fourth among American League outfielders, so he could use a little help. Though with Aaron Judge potentially out for an extended period of time, Buxton is probably in good shape. Still, his brilliant year deserves recognition.

Just ask a man who’s been on a lot of teams and seen some of the best players in baseball.

“It’s the best stretch I’ve ever seen,” said teammate Josh Bell, someone who knows a thing or two about hot streaks himself. “I’ve played with some really good ballplayers, [Juan] Soto, [José] Ramírez, but what he’s doing right now. … It seems like every game he’s either going to get three hits or hit a homer. Not to mention the stuff he’s doing on the basepaths and in center field. He’s an MVP candidate. He’s definitely our MVP."

On the morning of April 13, Buxton had yet to homer. He was hitting .182 and slugging .273. Since then he’s been unstoppable, even through a pair of nagging injuries. His home run on Monday night against the Rangers was his 23rd in 48 games, an almost unfathomable clip.

He also rates as plus-3 Outs Above Average on defense, and hasn’t been caught stealing since 2024.

“He’s one of the best outfielders in the game,” said manager Derek Shelton. “If I could make any plea to our fan base, it’s get out and vote. Because this guy deserves to be a starting outfielder in the All-Star Game. If you look at his numbers compared to everyone else, you’re going to be hard pressed to tell me that there’s three other people that are more deserving [than] him. So the one thing that I would say to Twins territory is get out and vote for him because this guy deserves to start.”

Buxton leads AL outfielders in home runs with 23 – six more than Judge and Mike Trout, tied for second place. Buxton leads in slugging at .601 and OPS at .937. He’s second in runs with 51. There’s simply no American League outfielder playing better.

And that’s before you get to anything off the field, which is when people really light up in talking about Buxton. He’s the unquestioned leader of the Twins, a beloved franchise icon who is respected in every corner of the clubhouse. And he’s having a moment.

“As corny as this sounds, it brings joy to my heart,” Shelton said. “It really does. Because maybe the market hurts it a little bit, but the fact of the matter is everybody in the game should know how special this [guy] is. And again, maybe a little bit for me because I was here and then left, and watched him as a young player, but to see where he’s at now, and to see, not only what he’s doing offensively and defensively, but the way he controls the clubhouse and what he means to our team, what he means to me personally, yeah, it’s really cool. So yeah, the corny way I can say it is it warms my heart to see what he’s doing and that he’s getting his flowers.”

As for Buxton himself, well, he shrugs off the attention. Player of the Week is nice, and he’ll appreciate it if he goes back to the All-Star Game, but his priorities are much simpler.

“I just play to win,” he said. “I ain’t worried about accolades. Day in, day out, the biggest thing for me is just coming in here, doing what I need to do, try to help these guys get the W.”

After a slow start to his time at Triple-A St. Paul, Matt Wallner is heating up. Wallner was optioned to St. Paul on May 14 after a rough slump, and he went 9-for-49 over his first 13 games. But he’s come on lately, with seven homers in his first 11 games in June as well as a reduction in his strikeouts.

It’s too soon to say Wallner will be back soon, but he’s showing the Twins what they want to see – not just in his results but in his at-bats as well.

“I think he’s trending in the right direction,” Shelton said. “If you watch, which we have -- which is great, we have the ability to watch every single at-bat for all of our affiliates, and quite honestly I’m probably more aware of what’s going on in Triple-A than anywhere else because it’s the closest. But watching his at-bats, you can see that there’s been noticeable adjustments or attempts at adjustments and it’s trending in the right direction.”

For select games this summer, the Twins are offering four tickets for $40. The list includes the Sunday, June 28 game against the Rockies on their upcoming homestand, as well as games against the Guardians and Royals in July and the Orioles in August. For full details, click here.

Y’all be kind and look out for each other, OK?

Joe Ely, “Dallas”

Waylon Jennings, “Bob Wills Is Still The King”

The Mountain Goats, “The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton”

George Strait, “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind”

Alabama, “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas”

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