With his family and teammate Joe Ryan cheering him on, Byron Buxton, although he was not the champion, did not disappoint in his first career Home Run Derby appearance on Monday at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Junior Caminero, Cal Raleigh, Oneil Cruz, Matt Olson, Brent Rooker, Jazz Chisholm and James Wood were the other players who competed in the derby with Buxton.
Participants had three minutes to collect home runs in Round 1, and had two minutes in the semifinals and finals.
Junior Caminero eliminates Byron Buxton in semifinal round of 2025 Home Run Derby
Buxton started slow in Round 1, taking four swings before notching his first home run of the night. He went on to clobber six more home runs before calling time with 1:18 left in the round. After his timeout, Buxton hit seven more before time ran out, leaving him with 14 home runs.
Using four bonus outs, Buxton then hit six more home runs, giving him a total of 20 for the round. Of the eight contestants, Buxton’s 20 home runs in the first round ranked third behind Cruz and Caminero's 21, leading to the Twins center fielder advancing to the semifinals, where he faced Caminero.
Buxton struggled in the second round, only hitting two home runs before calling a timeout with 0:57 left on the clock. Buxton collected four more home runs before time ran out and the bonus round arrived. He hit one homer in the bonus round, finishing the semifinals with seven home runs. Caminero then hit eight homers on 11 pitches, easily eliminating Buxton and advancing to the finals.
At the end of the day, it was a great showing from Buxton. Obviously he didn’t perform like he wanted to in the semifinals, but he put on a powerful display in Round 1. Twins fans will have to wait at least another year until someone dethrones Justin Morneau as the organization’s last Home Run Derby champion.
Buxton, along with Ryan, will once again showcase his talents on a national stage in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game at 7:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta.