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Twins’ Byron Buxton shares special meaning behind Home Run Derby bat
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- Twins’ Byron Buxton shares special meaning behind Home Run Derby bat
The post Twins' Byron Buxton shares special meaning behind Home Run Derby bat appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton didn't just step into the spotlight at the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby—he swung with purpose.
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Behind the eye-catching custom bat he used lies a deeply personal story that highlights Buxton's return to joy after years of setbacks. The Home Run Derby appearance wasn't just a power display—it symbolized a mental and emotional comeback powered by family, coaching, and rediscovery.
After multiple knee surgeries that sidelined him for large chunks of 2022 and 2023 from his teammates, Buxton's injury recovery was anything but linear . His on-field speed and impact waned for the Twins. Mentally, he admitted to struggling with motivation as the game he once loved became a grind.
That changed in the 2024-25 offseason.
Rather than rehabbing in a sterile training facility, Buxton spent the winter coaching an 11-and-under team in his hometown of Baxley, Georgia. The team, named the "Buxx Boys," featured his own son and a squad of energetic youth players. What began as a reluctant "yes" to coaching turned into a transformative journey.
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In a feature published by The Athletic, Dan Hayes captured the depth of Buxton's emotional resurgence. The 31-year-old opened up to Hayes about how coaching youth baseball this past offseason helped him reconnect with the joy of the game—not that he ever truly lost it, but something inside him was reignited.
"When I go out there and I'm playing and I'm saying my prayer, it's me, my family, this team and them boys," Buxton said.
"They brought that spark back into me somehow. I don't think I lost it. But I think they brightened it up for me a little," he also told Hayes.
Hayes also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where he posted a photo of Buxton holding his sentimental blue bat—one designed to honor the youth team he coached. In the tweet, Hayes explained the powerful meaning behind the bat and how it symbolizes the slugger's rediscovered love for baseball.
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The meaning behind Buxton's bat wasn't lost on his manager, either. Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli vividly remembered just how far Buxton has come.
"There was this foggy place he was in for a long time," Baldelli said recently. "He wasn't able to do anything. It was a game-time decision most days. If he could (play), he could. And if not, we would change the lineup. … It's honestly one of the great stories in sports."
Buxton's second All-Star campaign feels different . It's not just about being healthy again—it's about playing with renewed purpose.
Coaching stripped away the weight of expectations and replaced it with joy, connection, and perspective. Before each game this season, Buxton says a quiet prayer. Now, alongside his family and teammates, he includes the young players who helped bring him back to life.
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The bat he swung in Atlanta didn't just launch home runs. It told a story—one of revival, gratitude, and rediscovery. It was a tribute to the Buxx Boys, to his oldest son, and to the power of remembering why he's in love with the game in the first place.
Related: Twins' Byron Buxton reveals which pitcher gave him 'Welcome to MLB' moment
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