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 to highlight his impressive first half.

However, Buxton missed an opportunity to increase his standing in the league by winning the Home Run Derby.

Buxton made his second career All-Star Team. He’s a Georgia native who earned the opportunity to participate in the Midsummer Classic festivities in his hometown. Hitting for the cycle on Saturday and winning the derby would be a loud exclamation point on the first half of Buxton’s incredible 2025 campaign.

The now two-time All-Star is slashing .289/.351/.574 with 21 home runs, a 152 wRC+, and 4.0 fWAR. The most encouraging sign of all has been his health. He has played in 78 of Minnesota’s 96 games this season.

The storylines were perfectly aligned for Buxton to win the derby. A Georgia native in his first Home Run Derby with superstar talent, capping off a healthy season, which has him producing at career levels. The 2017 Gold Glove winner has been talked about for years as a superstar if he could stay on the field and avoid injuries. Now closing in on playing in 100 games in a season for just the third time in his career, Buxton is fulfilling his prospect hype.

Buxton advanced through the first round with 20 home runs before losing in a head-to-head battle in the semi-finals against Junior Caminero. He held his own throughout the night against a lineup that featured Cal Raleigh, Matt Olson, and Oneil Cruz.

Buxton was only the eighth Twins player to compete in the Home Run Derby since its inception in 1985. He’s also the fifth Twins player to join in the derby since 2007 and the first to do so since Miguel Sanó was one home run away from winning the derby in 2017.

Home Run Derbies are similar to the NBA’s Dunk Contest: They don’t add to your Hall of Fame resume, but they certainly add to a player’s aura across the league.

Sanó lost to Aaron Judge in the 2017 championship. Judge added the Derby title on his way to the AL Rookie of the Year that same season. Twins Hall of Famer Justin Morneau found a way to etch his name in baseball history by winning the 2008 Home Run Derby.

Baseball fans were already familiar with Morneau. The 2006 AL MVP had been a mainstay in a Minnesota squad that had been successful throughout the decade. Paired with Joe Mauer, the M&M Boys became the face of the Twins, much like Buxton is the leaguewide face in Minnesota now.

Still, Morneau faced stiff competition in the 2008 derby.

Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton set a Home Run Derby Record by launching 28 home runs in the first round. Rules back then allowed hitters to combine their first and second-round totals, giving Hamilton a huge cushion to advance into the championship.

Everyone focused on his record-breaking performance in the last-ever Home Run Derby at old Yankee Stadium. It nearly overshadowed the fact that Morneau won the derby that evening, beating Hamilton 5-3 in the championship. Still, Morneau continued to grow his status around the league by earning the title in front of a record 9.1 million viewers.

By winning the 2008 Home Run Derby, Morneau shone a brighter spotlight on his season. Morneau slashed .300/.374/.499 with 23 home runs and 129 RBI while playing in all 163 games for the Twins that year. He was the 2008 AL MVP runner-up and also won the AL Silver Slugger that season. It’s anecdotal, but getting some hardware on a national stage for the Home Run Derby certainly didn’t hurt Morneau’s chances to be recognized around baseball for his 2008 production.

Even though Buxton didn’t win the Home Run Derby and missed an opportunity to seize a unique moment, he still can add to his legacy. Playing in his home state for the All-Star Game will still be a fun storyline to follow during the game itself.

In 2008, Morneau made All-Star Game history by scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. Not just by winning the game for the American League in the final season that “the house that Ruth built” stood, but also because it was the first Midsummer Classic game ever to reach extra innings. Buxton will likely only get one or two at-bats in the game, so he’ll have to make those count. Launching a home run in front of an Atlanta crowd like he did in 2022 will stay in the minds of the national audience.

Even if that doesn’t happen, Buxton can grow his leaguewide fanbase by continuing to dominate in the same fashion he has in the first half of the season. Statistically, he has been a much better hitter in the second half of the season.

He owns an .836 OPS and 48 home runs in 245 career games post-All-Star Break compared to a .744 OPS in 566 career games in the first half of a season. Buxton is already on pace to have the best season of his career. By building on his first-half resume, including a .925 OPS, Buxton could put himself in the conversation for more than just the Home Run Derby hardware. Instead, he would have his name in contention for AL MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove.

Buxton continues to enjoy a career-best season in 2025. That’s culminated so far this season with his second career All-Star nod and a spot in the 2025 Home Run Derby. There was a missed opportunity to etch his name into baseball history like Morneau did in 2008. Buxton didn’t enhance his national standing by failing to secure the derby title in his home state while playing his best baseball. If  Buxton continues to produce at the rate he’s going, he will find his name in plenty of award discussions at the end of the season.