When the Twins selected Byron Buxton with the second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, they envisioned a game-changing athlete: a lightning-fast center fielder who could wreak havoc on the basepaths, chase down fly balls few others could, and slap line drives from foul line to foul line. Power was more of a footnote in the scouting report.

Minnesota Twins slugger Byron Buxton to compete in 2025 Home Run Derby in home state Georgia before playing in annual 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

And this time, after consulting with teammates, family and friends, the Twins center fielder is going as a Monday night Home Run Derby participant next week, too. The last, and first, time Buxton played in the All-Star Game was 2022 in Los Angeles, when he homered in an American League victory at Dodger Stadium.