Byron Keion Buxton...wife, Lindsey...sons, Brixton Scott (12/6/13), Blaze Jett (7/2/20) and Baire Lennox (7/24/23)...X: @OfficialBuck103...Instagram: @buckdaddy103...2012 graduate of Appling County (GA) High School...in 2012, ranked top high school prospect in the country at the time of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by Baseball America...named 2011 and '12 Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year, leading Appling County High School to the Georgia Class AA State Championship in 2012...named First- Team Rawlings Preseason All-American after hitting .513 with 17 doubles, three home runs, 35 RBI and 38 stolen bases during senior season; as a pitcher, went 10-1 with five saves and 154 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched...struck out 18 batters in seven innings pitched in the deciding game of the Georgia Class AA State Championship Series...selected to play in the Under Armour All-American Game in 2011...played football and was an All-State defensive back and receiver as a senior and All-Region as a quarterback as a junior...participated in Twins Winter Caravan in 2016 and '17...started Buxton's Battalion, in which he provides tickets and a special meet and greet for military members and their families at every Friday home game...invites members of the Minnesota National Guard to play catch on the field...his brother, Felton, serves in the U.S. Navy...in 2019 raised funds through the Big League Impact ALL WIN campaign, impacting Minnesota Military Family Foundation...occasionally attends Twins RBI Glove Giveaways, helping distribute free baseball gloves to participants in the Twins RBI program...named Carl R. Pohlad Community Service Award winner in 2020...is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and attends a few games each season at Raymond James Stadium with his family...is specifically a fan of wide receiver Mike Evans and has a couple different jerseys of his...grew up playing football against NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill and the two still keep in touch... Hill grew up in Douglas, Ga., about 40 miles southwest of Buxton's hometown of Baxley...once asked who could win in a race, Byron said that Hill would easily...attended 2024 and '25 TwinsFest at Target Field.
2024
Made Twins Opening Day roster for eighth time in career and was Opening Day centerfielder for first time since 2022...led off and played center on March 28 at Kansas City, going 1-for-4 with a walk and run scored...marked his first time playing centerfield since August 22, 2022 at Texas...Hit first home run in first three-hit game of season on April 23 vs. Chicago-AL...the home run tied the game in the ninth inning at 5-5; the Twins won on Alex Kirilloff's walk-off single shortly after...Stole 87th career base on April 28 at Los Angeles-AL, passing Tony Oliva, moving into sole possession of 13th on Twins all-time list (since 1961)...Hit safely in a then-season-long eight-straight games from April 19-29, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with four doubles, one home run, four RBI, one stolen base, seven runs scored and a .917 OPS in that span...also reached base safely in a career-best 14-straight games from April 19-May 22, posting a .375 on-base percentage in those games...Placed on 10-day Injured List on May 3 with right knee inflammation...played in two games on rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul; reinstated on May 18...Recorded 11th career multi-homer game and first of season on May 21 at Washington...Stole 90th career base in Game 1 of doubleheader on June 16 vs. Oakland, passing Nick Punto and tying Denard Span for 11th on Twins all-time list (since 1961)...stole 91st career base on June 18 vs. Tampa Bay, passing Span and moving into sole possession of 11th on Twins all-time list (since 1961)...Homered four times in five-game span, amassing 11 RBI from June 23-29, tied for the most RBI in a five-game stretch in his career...Hit safely in season-high-tying eight-straight games from July 2-12, hitting .452 (14-for-31) with six doubles, one home run, four RBI and a 1.242 OPS in that span...Recorded 12th career multi-homer game and second of season on July 21 vs. Milwaukee...passed Tom Brunansky, Miguel Sanó and Nelson Cruz (11 multi-homer games) for ninth-most in club history (since 1961)...Stole 92nd career base on July 23 vs. Philadelphia, tying Larry Hisle for 10th on Twins all-time list...stole 93rd on Sept. 20 at Boston, passing Hisle and moving into sole possession of 10th...Finished July hitting .333 (22-for-66) with eight doubles, five home runs, 10 RBI, 15 runs scored, a .405 on-base percentage, a .682 slugging percentage and a 1.087 OPS in 19 games...slugging ranked eighth in the AL and his OPS ranked 10th for the month...Recorded 13th career multi-homer game and third of season on August 11 vs. Cleveland...tied Kirby Puckett and Gary Gaetti for sixth-most multi-homer games in club history...Placed on 10-day Injured List on August 15 with right hip inflammation...took live batting practice at Target Field on Sept. 10 and 11, facing Twins minor leaguers bussed up from High-A Cedar Rapids...reinstated on Sept. 12...Homered in first game back from Injured List on Sept. 13 vs. Cincinnati...the homer was the 132nd of his career, tying Jacque Jones for 15th on Twins all-time list...passed Jones with 133rd on Sept. 25 vs. Miami...Played in 100th game of season on Sept. 25 vs. Miami, second-most in career (140 in 2017)...Hit .319 (67-for-210) with 19 doubles, 15 home runs, 40 RBI, 44 runs scored, a .377 on-base percentage, a .633 slugging percentage and a 1.010 OPS in 58 games from June 7-end of season...finished season with seven-game hitting streak (.344/.364/.531)...Played in 94 games in centerfield (87 starts), second-most of career (137 games in 2017)...ranked in 88th percentile in baseball in arm strength (90.3 mph)...Hit .298 (28-for-94) with three home runs and an .859 OPS vs. left-handed pitching and .272 (71-for-261) with 15 home runs and an .859 OPS vs. right-handed pitching...Ranked in 97th percentile in average sprint speed (29.7 ft./second), 94th percentile in base running run value (3), 92nd percentile in xSLG (.516), 89th percentile in xwOBA (.358) and barrel percentage (13.2%) and 87th percentile in average exit velocity (91.7 mph) and hard-hit percentage (48.1%)...Hit .299 (55-for-184) against fastballs, .288 (36-for-125) against breaking pitches and .174 (8-for-46) against off-speed...Finished 12th in the AL in OPS (.859) among players with a minimum of 350 plate appearances)...among same group, ranked ninth in slugging percentage (.524) and wOBA (.368).
2023
Was in Twins Spring Training and played mostly in Minor League games and took live AB's on back fields of Hammond Stadium...Made Twins Opening Day roster, the seventh of career and was club's Opening Day designated hitter on March 30 at Kansas City, going 2-for-5 with a triple...Spent all of season as club's DH in an effort to help keep him healthy by not playing in centerfield...Opened season with three-straight multi-hit games from March 30-April 2, first Twin to do so since Sam Fuld began his 2014 season...Grounded into a double play on April 2 at Kansas City, his first GIDP since Aug. 18, 2020, ending his streak of 172 games without a GIDP, the longest in Twins/Senators franchise history (since 1901)...Hit 100th career home run on April 11 vs. Chicago-AL, a two-run shot off Lance Lynn...Hit safely in season-high eight-straight games from April 25-May 4, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with four doubles, five home runs, 11 RBI, seven walks and a 1.472 OPS in that span...The streak was the start of a career-long 24-game on-base streak that spanned from April 25-May 24; posted a .381 on-base percentage in that span...Hit by a pitch in the ribs by Cleveland's Tanner Bibee on June 1...Placed on 10-day injured list with a left rib contusion; reinstated on June 15...Recorded ninth career multi-homer game on June 22 vs. Boston, hitting two solo homers...First homer traveled 466 feet, per Statcast, the second longest homer by a Twin in 2023 and second longest of career, behind his 469-foot homer on April 24, 2022 vs. Chicago-AL; his second homer traveled 465 feet, becoming the first hitter in the Statcast Era (2015-present) with multiple 460-plus-foot homers in the same game...Recorded 10th career multi-homer game on July 21 vs. Chicago-AL, hitting a three-run homer and a solo shot, finishing with a season-high four RBI...Placed on paternity list from July 24-27 to attend the birth of he and his wife's third son, Baire Lennox, on July 24 in Minneapolis...Hit .375 (9-for-24) with five doubles, two home runs, six RBI, an .833 slugging percentage and a 1.278 OPS in a seven-game span from July 21-Aug. 1, but was placed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 4 with a right hamstring strain...Played in first game on rehab assignment on Aug. 30 for Triple-A St. Paul, playing 7.0 innings in the field, his first defensive action all season...Played another game as designated hitter on Sept. 1 but had rehab assignment shutdown temporarily after experiencing knee soreness...Spent the final week of the season taking live BP with other players rehabbing from injuries to be ready for postseason...Hit .217 (49-for-226) with 14 home runs and a .768 OPS vs. right-handed pitching, compared to .179 (14-for-78) with three home runs and a .627 OPS vs. left-handed pitching...Selected to ALDS roster prior to Game 4 vs. Houston, replacing Alex Kirilloff (shoulder)...Made pinch-hitting appearance that night vs. Bryan Abreu in the eighth inning, popping out to first base.
2022
Signed seven-year contract extension to stay in Minnesota through 2028 on Dec. 1, 2021, just hours prior to the MLB work stoppage...A Was Twins Opening Day centerfielder and leadoff hitter on April 8 vs. Seattle, his seventh Opening Day roster, all with Twins...Homered six times in his first 10 games from April 8-24, the first player in Twins/Senators history to do so...Recorded fifth career multi-homer game on April 10 vs. Seattle...finished with four multi-homer games, also April 24 vs. Chicago-AL (6th career), June 9 vs. New York-AL (7th career) and June 10 vs. Tampa Bay (8th career)...the consecutive multi-homer games on June 9 and 10 made him the fifth player in Twins/Senators history (1901-present) to record consecutive games with two-or-more home runs; he joined Harmon Killebrew (May 1-2, 1959), Don Mincher (July 20-21, 1963), Kirby Puckett (August 29-30, 1987) and Eddie Rosario (April 18-20, 2019)...Hit second career walk-off home run on April 24 vs. Chicago-AL, a three-run shot off Liam Hendriks in the bottom of the 10th inning, securing a 6-4 Twins victory...the homer was measured at 469 feet, marking the longest walk-off in the Statcast Era (since 2015)...he homered earlier in the game and according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two-homer game marked the 16th time in club history that a Twin hit a walk-off home run in a game in which he homered at least twice...the previous was Eddie Rosario's three-homer/walk-off game on June 3, 2018 vs. Cleveland...Awarded MLB's Play of the Week on May 24 vs. Detroit, making a diving catch in right-centerfield off the bat of Jeimer Candelario...Homered in first and second innings on June 9 vs. New York-AL for second time on season (also April 10 vs. SEA)...became second player in Twins/Senators history with two such games in season (also Harmon Killebrew in 1969)...Named AL Player of the Week on June 13, his second career honor (also August 27, 2017)...hit .333 (7-for-21) with eight runs scored, a double, five home runs, seven RBI and a 1.095 slugging percentage over six games played...Had 19 home runs at his 50-game mark on June 19, becoming second player in Minnesota/Washington franchise history (since 1901) with 19 home runs in his first 50 games of a season, the other being Harmon Killebrew in 1959...Hit nine home runs with 15 RBI in 23 June games...nine home runs tied for fourth-most in the AL and tied for fifth-most in baseball...Hit third career walk-off home run on July 1 vs. Baltimore, a two-run shot off Jorge López in the bottom of the ninth, securing a Twins 3-2 victory...Awarded MLB's Play of the Week for second time on season July 4 at Chicago-AL, starting an 8-5 triple play, the first in Major League Baseball history...he caught a flyball in right-centerfield off the bat of AJ Pollock, then assisted third baseman Gio Urshela, who converted the other two outs...Named to American League All-Star team as reserve, the first of career...named starting centerfielder by AL manager Dusty Baker, replacing Los Angeles-AL's Mike Trout...batted sixth and went 1-for-2 with a go-ahead solo home run off Los Angeles-NL's Tony Gonsolin in the fourth inning (425 ft)...struck out in first at-bat against Miami's Sandy Alcantara...became fourth Twin to homer in an All-Star Game, joining Harmon Killebrew (1961, '65 & '71), Kirby Puckett (1993) and Brian Dozier (2015)...Homered in 10-consecutive road series from June 3-Aug. 14 (June 3 at Toronto, June 13 at Seattle, June 17 at Arizona, June 28 at Cleveland, July 4 at Chicago-AL, July 10 at Texas, July 26 at Milwaukee, July 29 & 30 at San Diego, Aug. 9 at Los Angeles-NL and August 14 at Los Angeles-AL)...it tied Miguel Sanó for the longest streak by a Twin since September 2016-June 2017...longest by any player since Justin Turner did it in 10-straight in 2019...Reached safely in season-long 10-straight games to end his season from Aug. 9-22...Placed on 10-day Injured List on Aug. 23 with a right hip strain, ending his season...Hit .252 (26-for-103) vs. left-handed pitching, compared to .211 (50-for-237) against right-handed pitching...Posted an expected slugging percentage (xSLG) of .509, seventh-best in the AL among qualifiers...Finished with 28 home runs on season, tied for 13th in the AL...hit 21 homers from the number one spot in the lineup, fourth-most in the AL and sixth-most in baseball...11 of his 28 home runs were with the score tied and six were when the club was trailing by one run...Ranked sixth in the AL and eighth in baseball in average exit velocity (92.9 mph)...ranked eighth in the AL and 11th in baseball in barrels-per-plate appearance percentage (9.7%)...ranked 18th in baseball in hard-hit percentage (50.2%)...Ranked in the 93rd percentile in baseball in hard-hit percentage (50.2%) and in the 92nd percentile in sprint speed (29.1 mph)...one of three players in baseball in the 90th percentile in both categories, the others being Mike Trout (51.0% / 29.4 mph) and Julio Rodríguez (50.7% / 29.7 mph)...Finished season with an MLB-record 54 consecutive home runs since last grounding into a double play on Aug. 18, 2020 vs. Milwaukee when he hit into two...Set career-high in home runs (28) and tied career-high in RBI (51).
2021
Made Twins Opening Day roster for the sixth time in career and was Opening Day centerfielder, batting sixth April 1 at Milwaukee...homered off Eric Yardley, marking first career Opening Day home run... Homered in each of his first two games and in five of his first eight games from April 1-11...the Opening Day homer was the first for a Twins centerfielder since Torii Hunter in 2007... Began season with a six-game extra-base hit streak from April 1-8 (3 2B, 4 HR), marking a club record to begin a season... Began season with a 10-game hitting streak, hitting .457 (16-for-35) with five doubles, five home runs, nine RBI, a 1.029 slugging percentage and a 1.541 OPS in that span... Went 5-for-5, setting a single-game career-high in hits on April 28 at Cleveland, including two doubles, a leadoff home run and a stolen base...became the third player in Twins/Senators history (1901-present) with five hits, a homer and a stolen base in a game, joining Jacque Jones (May 6, 2003, at Tampa Bay) and Boileryard Clarke (June 18, 1901, at Detroit)...became the third player in Twins/Senators franchise history to go 5-for-5 or better and hit a leadoff home run in the same game, joining Tim Teufel on Sept. 16, 1983 vs. Toronto and Jacque Jones on May 6, 2003, at Tampa Bay (Elias)... Named American League Player of the Month for April...became the 16th Twins player to win the award and the first since Delmon Young in July 2010...also just the third Twin to be named AL Player of the Month for April, joining Kirby Puckett (1986) and Torii Hunter (2002)...played in 18 games, hitting safely in 16 while batting .426 (29-for-68) with eight doubles, eight home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored, a .466 on-base percentage, an .897 slugging percentage and a 1.363 OPS...he led qualified major league hitters in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, and tied for second in home runs and extra-base hits (16), while ranking third in total bases (61) and fourth in on-base percentage... set Twins records for March/April in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS (min. 60 plate appearances)...his OPS also set a new Twins record for any month, surpassing Joe Mauer’s 1.338 mark in May 2009... Placed on 10-day Injured List with a right hip strain on May 7...at the time of injury, was hitting .370 (34-for-92) with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, four walks, five stolen bases, a .408 on-base percentage, a .772 slugging percentage and a 1.180 OPS...led baseball in slugging percentage and ranked second in both batting average and OPS. A Played in three games on rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul, going 5-for-9 (.556) with two home runs and seven RBI and was reinstated on June 14... Played in three games for the Twins, going 4-for-11 with a double and a home run and was hit by a pitch from Tyler Mahle June 21 vs. Cincinnati, fracturing his left hand...was placed on the 10-day Injured List June 22... Played in four games on rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul from August 20-25, going 4-for-13 with one double and one home run and was returned and reinstated from Injured List on August 27... Recorded third career multi-homer game and only of season on September 30 vs. Detroit... Finished season hitting .368 (21-for-57) with nine doubles, five home runs, eight RBI and a 1.227 OPS in final 15 games from Sept. 17-Oct. 3...in fact, finished the season with a 16-game on-base streak that started on September 15... Hit a fifth-inning double Oct. 2 at Kansas City which marked his 40th extra-base hit of the season in his 60th game...became the fourth player in baseball history with 40-plus extra-base hits in his first 60 games-or-fewer in a season, joining Josh Gibson in 1937 (40 XBH in 39 G), Oscar Charleston in 1924 (42 XBH in 54 G) and Ross Barnes in 1873 (44 XBH in 60 G)... Hit 100th career double on final day of season, Oct. 3 at Kansas City...marked his fourth-straight game with a double. A Hit three of the 10 longest home runs for the team on the season: 456 feet on April 1 at Milwaukee (Eric Yardley), 451 feet on April 6 at Detroit (José Cisnero) and 457 feet on September 10 vs. Kansas City (Daniel Lynch)...the homer vs. the Royals went off the facing of Minnie & Paul in centerfield, above the Delta SKY360º Suite; he is the only player in Target Field history (2010-present) to hit a ball to that spot. A Set single-season career-high in home runs with 19, despite playing in just 61 games with 235 at-bats...finished seventh in baseball in at-bats-per-home run ratio at 12.37 (minimum of 200 at-bats)...also hit 23 doubles, his second-highest single-season total (30 in 2019)... Finished the season with a 4.5 WAR (per Baseball-Reference), the second-best on the team (Jorge Polanco - 4.8)...his 4.5 WAR was the eighth-highest single-season mark in baseball history among players who appeared in 70-or-fewer games in a season, highest since Josh Gibson's chart-topping 6.3 WAR for the Homestead Grays in 1943. A Ranked fifth among all centerfielders with 10 defensive runs saved (per The Fielding Bible), despite playing just 509.2 innings there...Finished first in the American League and second in baseball with a 1.005 OPS (minimum 200 at-bats)...trailed only Philadelphia's Bryce Harper (1.044). A Signed a seven-year contract extension on December 1, keeping him in Minnesota through 2028.
2020
Made Twins Opening Day roster for fifth time in career but missed the first three games recovering from a left foot sprain, an injury he suffered chasing a fly ball in a July 14 scrimmage...Began season 1-for-15 (.067) with one walk July 28-August 3...in next nine games, hit .406 (13-for-32) with one double, five home runs, nine RBI, eight runs scored and a 1.300 OPS... in that span, homered in three straight games August 6-8, including a season-high four RBI August 8 at Kansas City...Recorded second career multi-homer game August 12 at Milwaukee, both solo shots...Scored game-winning run in a walk-off, 4-3, 12-inning win August 18 vs. Milwaukee, sliding into home on a Jorge Polanco dribbler to first base...was the runner on second base to start the inning; played in one game after the slide, then placed on 10-day Injured List August 20 with left shoulder inflammation; reinstated September 1...Hit third career inside-the-park home run September 15 at Chicago-AL, 55th in Twins history...joined Tony Oliva, Tom Brunansky and Greg Gagne for most inside-the-park homers in club history...hit what was originally called an inside-the-park home run the previous night in Chicago, but was ruled a ground rule double as it was lodged under the fence in left field...Collected third career multi-homer game and second of season September 17 at Chicago-AL, both solo shots...Collected third career multi-homer game and second of season September 17 at Chicago-AL, both solo shots...Hit second career leadoff home run September 22 vs. Detroit, off Tarik Skubal...Homered eight times in a 12-game span September 7-22...also homered in three consecutive games for the second time in his career, both this season (August 6-8 and September 15-17)...Missed final two games after being hit by a pitch in the head from Lucas Sims on September 25 vs. Cincinnati...Hit .290 (18-for-62) with two doubles, eight home runs, 15 RBI and a 1.022 OPS in 18 games in September...ranked 11th in AL in OPS for the month...Appeared in two games in AL Wild Card Series vs. Houston...made the start in Game 1 September 29, going 1-for-4, singling off Zack Greinke in the first inning for first career Postseason hit...pinch-ran in Game 2...Finished 16th in American League MVP voting with two voting points - one ninth place vote...Named 2020 Rawlings Gold Glove centerfield finalist, along with Oakland's Ramon Laureano, both losing out to Chicago-AL's Luis Robert...Named Carl R. Pohlad Community Service Award winner and Jim Kaat Award winner for Twins Defensive Player of the Year.
2019
Made Twins Opening Day roster for fourth time in career and was Opening Day centerfielder March 28 vs. Cleveland...Caught stealing April 22 at Houston (Robinson Chirinos), snapping his club record stolen base streak at 33 straight successful attempts...Hit 18 doubles through first 38 games of May 14, the most in baseball through that date...Hit second career grand slam May 18 at Seattle and tied a career-high with five RBI...Placed on 10-day Injured List with a right wrist contusion June 18; missed 13 games and was reinstated June 29...Played in eight games before being placed back on 10-day Injured List with concussion-like symptoms July 16, an injury he suffered diving for a ball July 13 at Cleveland and was reinstated July 25...Played in seven games before being placed back on 10-day Injured List with left shoulder subluxation August 3 (retroactive to August 2), an injury he suffered running into a wall on August 1 at Miami; was reinstated September 1...Played in five games in September for Twins primarily as a defensive replacement and pinch runner...Placed on 60-day Injured List September 10 with the left shoulder subluxation, ending his season...had surgery that day in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache...Hit .317 (20-for-63) with nine extra-base hits vs. left-handed pitching and .245 (51-for-208) with 35 extra-base hits vs. right-handed pitching...Went 14-for-17 in stolen base attempts for a 82.4 success rate...Twins went 53-25 with him in the lineup compared to 48-36 without...Was the recipient of the Minnesota Twins Heart and Hustle Award by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association...Named winner of Jim Kaat Award, given to the Twins Defensive Player of the Year, an award voted on by the Twin Cities Chapter of the BBWAA... marked his third time winning the award (2016 and 2017).
2018
Made Twins Opening Day roster for third time in career and was Opening Day centerfielder March 29 at Baltimore...Placed on 10-day disabled list with migraines April 15...Went on rehab assignment with Single-A Ft. Myers April 22...fouled a ball off left big toe, fracturing it in his first rehab game April 22 at Bradenton...Returned from rehab assignment and reinstated from disabled list May 10...Upon return, played in 17 games for the Twins, hitting .122 (6-for-49) with two doubles and was placed back on 10-day DL with a left big toe fracture...Went on rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester...eventually returned from rehab, reinstated from DL and optioned to Rochester July 2...Placed back on the 7-day disabled list July 31 with a left wrist strain...Went 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts, extending his club record to 29 straight steals; last caught by Wellington Castillo May 23, 2017 at Baltimore...Combined to hit .226 (51-for-226) with 15 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 18 RBI, 12 walks and nine stolen bases in 63 games between Rochester and Minnesota on the season.
2017
Made Twins Opening Day roster for second time in career and was Opening Day centerfielder April 3 vs. Kansas City, batting third...Began the season hitting .195 (46-for-236) in first 78 games to July 3, but hit .314 (71-for-226) in final 62 games...Placed on 10-day disabled list with left groin strain July 15; reinstated August 1...Named Twins representative for the Heart and Hustle Award...Hit safely in career-high 12 straight August 10-21, hitting .400 (18-for-45) with two doubles, two triples, four home runs and 12 RBI...Hit .387 (12-for-31) in 10 July games and .324 (34-for-105) in 29 August games...Hit second career inside-the-park homer August 18 vs. Arizona; added a double and a triple, becoming just the fifth player in baseball in 70-plus years since the end of World War II, and the first in 41 years, to have those three types of hits in the same game: Jerry Snyder (1956), Roger Maris (1958), George Altman (1961), and Al Bumbry (1976)...Hit three home runs August 27 at Toronto, becoming the eighth player in club history with a three-homer game, joining Bob Allison (May 17, 1963 at Cleveland), Harmon Killebrew (September 21, 1963 at Boston), Tony Oliva (July 3, 1973 at Kansas City), Justin Morneau (July 6, 2007 at Chicago-AL), Max Kepler (August 1, 2016 at Cleveland), Brian Dozier (September 5, 2016 vs. Kansas City), and Eddie Rosario (June 13, 2017 vs. Seattle); also set single-game career-highs in hits (4) and RBI (5); also stole a base in the game, becoming just the fifth player in AL history to steal a base and hit three homers, joining Carl Reynolds (1930), Leroy Stanton (1973), Joe Carter (1989) and Alex Rodriguez (2010)...Named the AL Player of the Week for the period ending August 27th, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with nine runs scored, a double, five home runs, 10 RBI and two stolen bases in eight games; among AL players, finished first in home runs; tied for first in total bases (27); tied for second in extra-base hits (6) and RBI; fourth in slugging percentage (.818); and tied for fourth in hits and stolen bases...Missed one game on August 30 after hurting his hamate bone on left hand... Stole 24 consecutive bases May 24 through the end of the season, setting a Twins record for consecutive steals...Set single-season career-highs in games (140), runs (69), hits (117), home runs (16), RBI (51), walks (38) and stolen bases (29)...Went 29-for-30 in stolen base attempts for a 96.7% success rate, the highest in baseball and a Twins record; highest in baseball since Alcides Escobar in 2013 (100.0%)...Ranked third in baseball in defensive runs saved (24), second among outfielders (Andrelton Simmons - 32 and Mookie Betts - 31)...Posted a .951 Zone Rating, the fourth-best for a centerfielder in baseball history and best since Gabe Kapler in 1999 (.953)...Played 137 games (131 starts) in centerfield, fourth-most in the AL; most for a Twin since Denard Span played 153 games in 2010... Given 2017 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award as well as their award for Best Defensive Centerfielder...Given 2017 Jim Kaat Award for Twins Defensive Player of the Year and Charles O. Johnson Award for Most Improved Twin, both awards voted on by the Twin Cities Chapter of the BBWAA...Given 2017 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, becoming fourth different outfielder in club history, joining Tony Oliva (1x, 1966), Kirby Puckett (6x, 1986-89 & 1991-92) and Torii Hunter (7x, 2001-07)...also earned the AL Platinum Glove Award (Colorado's Nolan Arenado won NL).
2016
Made Twins Opening Day roster for first time in career and was Opening Day centerfielder April 4 at Baltimore, batting ninth...Hit .156 (7-for-45) in 17 games and was optioned to Triple-A Rochester April 25...Named International League Player of the Week May 29, hitting .478 (11-for-23) with three doubles, three home runs, five RBI, eight runs scored and three walks in six games...Recalled by Minnesota May 31 (Danny Santana - disabled list)...Recorded first career three-hit game with Twins June 5 vs. Tampa Bay...Hit .204 (31-for-152) in 46 games for the Twins in second stint and was optioned to Triple-A Rochester August 8...Named International League Player of the Week for second time August 28, hitting .353 (12-for-35) with one double, four home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored in seven games...Recalled by Minnesota for final time September 1...Hit first career grand slam September 4 vs. Chicago-AL, off Anthony Raunado...was part of a stretch in which he hit five home runs with 12 RBI in an eight-game span for the Twins September 1-9...Hit inside-the-park home run October 2 at Chicago-AL, off Chris Sale, which was also his first career leadoff homer (first time hitting out of leadoff position all season)...also marked his 10th home run, becoming the 11th different Twin to reach double-digit home run totals, tying an MLB record (Detroit - 2004 and Houston - 2015)...Hit .287 (29-for-101) with six doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 22 RBI, 24 runs scored and 10 walks in 29 September/October games; 24 runs scored led the AL, nine home runs were tied for seventh, and 22 RBI ranked 10th...Combined to hit .256 (125-for-488) with 30 doubles, nine triples, 21 home runs, 62 RBI, 85 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 141 games between Rochester and Minnesota...Given 2016 Jim Kaat Award for Twins Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the Twin Cities Chapter of the BBWAA.
2015
Was an invite to Twins spring training for second straight season and was reassigned to minor league camp March 15....Began season with Double-A Chattanooga....Recorded season-high four hits April 13 at Montgomery, hitting two singles, a double and a triple....Named Twins minor league Player of the Week May 3, hitting .423 (11-for-26) with one double, one home run, six RBI, nine runs scored, six walks and four stolen bases....Hit second professional grand slam May 19 vs. Montgomery...Hit .364 (32-for-88) with a .447 on-base percentage from May 19-June 12, including an eight-game hitting streak June 5-12, and had his contract selected by Minnesota June 14....Named Southern League All-Star, but did not play in game due to promotion to Minnesota....Made major league debut June 14 at Texas, starting in centerfield and batting ninth, going 0-for-4 with a run scored, the game-winning run in the ninth inning in a 4-3 Twins win....Recorded first major league hit, June 15 at St. Louis, tripling off John Lackey; became the fourth Twin to ever triple for first major league hit, joining Jorge Polanco (June 27, 2014), Jimmie Hall (April 16, 1963) and Bernie Allen (April 10, 1962)....Recorded first career stolen base June 21 vs. Chicago-NL....Recorded first career three-hit game June 22 vs. Chicago-AL, including three runs scored and first career double....Placed on 15-day disabled list June 26 with a left thumb sprain, an injury he suffered on June 23 vs. Chicago-AL, attempting to steal second base...returned from rehab at Triple-A Rochester and officially optioned there August 10...Named International League Player of the Week August 10-16, hitting .400 (14-for-35) with one triple, one home run, four RBI and seven runs scored in eight games... Recalled by Minnesota August 20 when the Twins placed Aaron Hicks on the disabled list....Recorded first career RBI August 22 at Baltimore, singling in Torii Hunter....Hit first career home run September 27 at Detroit, a solo shot off Jose Valdez....Named an outfielder on MiLB.com Twins organizational All-Star team....Named second best prospect in the Southern League by Baseball America (teammate Miguel Sano ranked first)....Ranked top prospect, best hitter for average, fastest baserunner, best athlete, best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in Twins system by Baseball America, entering 2016.
2014
Played in first career Twins spring training and was reassigned to minor league camp March 9, reporting to Single-A Ft. Myers...began season on 7-day disabled list with a sprained left wrist after diving for a fly ball in a minor league spring training game March 16; reinstated May 4...played in just five regular season games for the Miracle and was placed back on DL May 9 after re-aggravating his wrist diving for a fly ball; reinstated July 6...hit .324 (11-for-34) against left-handed pitching and .207 (18-for-87) off right-handers at Ft. Myers...promoted to Double-A New Britain August 12...played one game for the Rock Cats in centerfield August 13 vs. Bowie; in that game collided with rightfielder Mike Kvasnicka, both diving for a ball, and Buxton suffered a concussion...placed on 7-day disabled list August 14, ending his season...played for Salt River in Arizona Fall League, hitting .263 (15-for-57) in 13 games; dove for a ball October 27 and fractured left middle finger ending his AFL season...named an outfielder on the AFL Top Prospect Team...named Twins top prospect, best hitter for average, fastest baserunner, best athlete, best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in the Twins system by Baseball America entering 2015...named top prospect in baseball by MLB.com entering 2015
2013
Began season with Single-A Cedar Rapids…Reached base safely in first 29 games April 4-May 8, posting a .485 on-base percentage in that span…Named Twins minor league Player of the Month for April, hitting .392 (31-for-79) with five doubles, three triples, four home runs, 21 RBI, 25 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 22 games…Hit first professional grand slam May 16 vs. Burlington…Recorded first professional five-hit game June 5 vs. Quad Cities, going 5-for-6 with a double and two triples…Named Twins minor league Player of the Week June 14, hitting .406 (13-for-32) with three doubles, nine RBI and six runs scored in seven games…Named a Midwest League midseason All-Star…Ranked top prospect in baseball at midseason by Baseball America and MLB.com…Selected to play for the U.S. in the Sirius-XM All-Star Future's Game at Citi Field in New York, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts off the bench…Promoted to Single-A Ft. Myers June 24…Named Florida State League Player of the Week July 29, hitting .333 (10-for-30) with three triples, three home runs, six RBI, eight runs scored and six walks in seven games for the Miracle…Hit safely in season-high 14 straight games August 5-21…Named Twins minor league Player of the Month for August, hitting .402 (35-for-87) with 20 walks, 16 stolen bases, 21 runs scored and a .523 on-base percentage in 26 games...also named August Player of the Month by Topps…Combined to hit .334 (163-for-488) with 19 doubles, 18 triples, 12 home runs, 77 RBI, 109 runs scored and 55 stolen bases in 125 games between both levels…Led all minor league full-season players in triples (18), second in runs scored (109), tied for sixth in OPS (.944), 10th in hits (163) and 12th in stolen bases (55)…Named postseason All-Star, Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year in the Midwest League by Baseball America…Awarded with 54th annual J.G. Taylor Spink Award as Topps/Minor League Baseball's Player of the Year; at 19-years-old, he joined Mike Trout (2010), Delmon Young (2005) and Andruw Jones (1996) as only players to win the award as a teenager...named to Topps/Minor League Baseball's Class-A All-Star Team…Named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America after being named Minor League All-Star, High Class-A All-Star, Low-Class A Player of the Year and Low Class-A All-Star by same publication…Was given the Sherry Robertson Award as Twins minor league Player of the Year…Played in 12 games in the Arizona Fall League with Glendale Desert Dogs, hitting .212 (11-for-52) with one double, three home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored before being shutdown with a right shoulder strain...named to West Division Fall Stars Team...ranked number one in the Top 20 AFL Prospect List by Baseball America...named to AFL Top Prospects Team…Named an outfielder on MiLB.com Twins organizational All-Star team…Named top prospect, best hitter for average, fastest baserunner, best athlete, best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in Twins system by Baseball America entering 2014.
2012
Began professional career with GCL Twins...hit first professional home run July 7 vs. GCL Red Sox...promoted to Rookie Elizabethton August 7...hit .395 (15-for-38) in final 10 games for E-Town...ranked top prospect in Gulf Coast League by Baseball America...ranked 10th best prospect in Appalachian League by Baseball America...ranked second best prospect in Twins organization by Baseball America entering 2013...ranked 19th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com and 10th best by Baseball America entering 2013.
