CLEVELAND — Byron Buxton wasn’t sure what, exactly, he was being lauded for on Wednesday night when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. approached him to offer his congratulations.
“DK was like, ‘Congrats,” and I was like, ‘On what?’” Buxton said.
Soon after, he was informed that he had become just the third player in team history to record 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases with the Twins when he swiped second base in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s game. Buxton, who has 139 career home runs, accomplished the first half of the feat during the the 2023 season.
“I’m blessed,” he said. “Obviously, to put this uniform on and be able to have the opportunity to do something like that is special.”
Buxton, who accomplished the feat in his 800th game as a Twin, joins pretty good company.
Only Kirby Puckett, who hit 207 home runs and stole 134 bases in his career and Torii Hunter have done the same. In 12 years with the Twins, Hunter hit 214 home runs and stole 128 bases. In his career, which lasted 19 years in total, he hit 353 with 195 stolen bases.
“I told some guys earlier, just being in a group with those top two center fielders that put on this uniform, that played the position that I’m playing … like I said, it’s special,” Buxton said. “It’s hard to put into words now.”
He’s also just the 26th active player to reach the 100 home run/100 steal milestone.
“There’s only so many guys that have the ability to contribute in those different ways,” manager Rocco Baldelli. “It’s a great accomplishment, but he’s going to accomplish even further things related to this, related to his legs and his bat.”
All of Buxton’s steals, notably, have been of second base as Buxton, 31, has yet to steal third in a regular-season game. Though with his speed, he can score on a majority of hits that find the outfield grass.
In his career, Buxton has only been caught 12 times and his 89.3% stolen base percentage is the highest in MLB history among players who have 100 steals.
“He takes off well, he’s fast on the way and he knows what to do around the bag,” Baldelli said. “He has a really good feel for the times he should go and the times he probably shouldn’t go. Just having that baseball sense, and the awareness and instinct, it’s a big deal. It’s a big part of stealing bases and he has it.”
Though he’s maintained his elite speed, he has run less in recent years because of a number of injuries, including a knee issue that required two surgeries in consecutive offseasons.
Already, he’s matched the number of stolen bases (seven) that he stole in all of 2024, a sign that he’s feeling good physically.
“The way he’s moving has been … the best his body has been working and as explosive as he’s been, probably the best since ’19 or ’20,” Baldelli said. “The way we score runs and manufacture things and make things happen is just different when he’s able to run like that and move like that.”
Briefly
The Twins will head to Boston for a three-game series with the Red Sox beginning at 6:10 p.m. CT. Joe Ryan, who has a 3.18 ERA across six outings this season, is scheduled to start. … Royce Lewis, who is rehabbing from a hamstring injury, had a scheduled day off on Thursday after playing Tuesday and Wednesday for the Saints. Lewis has played in four rehab games thus far.
Related Articles
Pablo López’s strong start spoiled late as Twins fall to Guardians
Twins reliever Griffin Jax won’t let two weeks define his season
Twins walked off after extended weather delay — and little rain
Twins win fourth straight as offense goes off against Guardians
As two near return, Twins plan for May without pair of big contributors
Leave a Reply