Byron Buxton Continues Push for Greatest MN Twins Season of All Time

The Minnesota Twins have not had a good season. Riding a six-game losing streak on Sunday, they needed a victory to avoid another low-point on the season.

Bailey Ober had to play stopper against a Kansas City Royals team he has previously struggled against. However, he turned in 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball and gave Minnesota a chance.

Offensively it was the same guy who has been doing it all season long. Byron Buxton launched a leadoff home run to start the game, and his 30th of the season put him in rare air.

MN Twins have a Kirby Puckett 30/20 partner

Byron Buxton has played in 108 games for the Minnesota Twins this season. That’s the second-highest mark of his career, and his 4.5 fWAR is a new career high. With his 30th longball on the reason, he now joins Kirby Puckett in elite territory.

The Minnesota Twins have never had a 30/30 season, and likely that won’t change this year. Buxton has been stuck on 21 steals and time is running out. His 30th home run though, a new career-high, gives Minnesota their first 30/20 player since Kirby Puckett in 1986.

Puckett running is hard to believe given his stocky stature, but it was part of his game early on in his career. Puckett swiped 14 bases as a rookie, 21 in his second campaign, and then 20 in his third. The 1986 season saw his greatest power production as well in the form of 31 dingers.

Minnesota still has 19 games remaining and Buxton could presumably launch more home runs. He’ll want to continue playing and generating statistics as his contract is incentive-laden and geared towards a higher MVP finish.

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Puckett never hit more than 31 home runs in a season. That’s a number that Buxton could definitely surpass. He became the 41st player in franchise history to hit 30 homers in a single-season. To reach the top-20, he’ll need at least four more.

Both Torii Hunter (2006) and Puckett have the most for a centerfielder in franchise history with 31. Minnesota heads to Los Angeles for a series against the Angels starting Monday night.