Buxton collected hits in the first, second and third innings against the Pirates before going yard in the seventh

Minnesota Twins Center Fielder Byron Buxton just finished off a historic first half of the regular season. He has 21 home runs and 17 stolen bases at the All-Star break.

Buxton is 31, owed around $45 million from 2026-28 for a team that counts pennies, and has dealt with wrist, thumb, groin, head, toe, shoulder, hip, hand, and knee injuries, just to name a few, which too often have hindered one of the most-hyped prospects ever in an 11-year career.

The oft-injured Twins outfielder is delivering one of his best seasons en route to participating in the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

The Twins select the RHP ranked 136th on MLB Pipeline. With the 149th pick in the draft, the Twins selected their fifth pitcher in seven picks, keeping up with a pitcher-heavy draft. They selected Matt Barr, a JUCO product from Niagara County Community College. Barr was the highest-ranked JUCO prospect in MLB's draft rankings.