Baxley’s Byron Buxton hit 35 home runs for the Minnesota Twins this season. One of those home runs was the fifth-longest homer hit in the majors in 2025.
Buxton hit the tape measure home run on June 11 in the third inning of the Twins’ game against the Texas Rangers. Texas’s Jack Leiter offered Buxton a 90-mph slider on a 2-2 count and the former Appling County Pirate didn’t miss. The ball went out over the 411-foot sign in centerfield at Target Field in Minneapolis.
The three-run home run left the park at 111 mph and traveled 479 feet. Texas was leading 2-0 at the time. Buxton’s blast put the Twins up 3-2 and they would go on to win 6-2. Buxton went 1-3 with a walk, three RBI, and a run scored in the game. He also made a great diving catch that may have been more impressive than the home run, which was was Buxton’s 11th of the season.
Buxton had one of the best years in his career in 2025. He played in 126 games, the second-most of his career. He hit .264 with 35 home runs and 83 RBI. He made the All-Star team, finished 11th in the MVP voting, and won the Silver Slugger Award. Buxton also participated in the Home Run Derby in Atlanta, advancing to the semifinals thanks to a 20-home run performance in the first round.
The Twins selected Buxton second overall out of Appling County High School in the 2012 MLB Draft.