MN Twins Superstar Struggling to Get All-Star Votes

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Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things weren’t expected to go well for the Minnesota Twins this season, and at 33-40, they largely haven’t. Byron Buxton is an outlier though.

Not only is the superstar centerfielder on pace to launch a career-best 45 home runs (22 so far), but the 32-year-old former No. 2 overall draft pick is flirting with the best overall season of his career, batting .276 with a .936 OPS and 153 OPS+. He’s also piled up 47 runs and 35 RBI in 47 games played.

After Buxton made the All-Star team in 2025 (his second), then was selected to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic this spring, he should be a cinch for his third appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic later this summer, right?

Byron Buxton needs All-Star votes from MN Twins fans

Well… not so fast, according to the early All-Star ballots, which were revealed by Major League Baseball on Monday. If the voting ended today, Buxton (498K votes) would finish outside the AL starting lineup, behind Angels CF Mike Trout (927K votes) and a pair of Yankees, Aaron Judge (977K votes) and Cody Bellinger (534K votes).

You can place your All-Star vote for Byron Buxton at twins.com/vote.

Buxton’s 22 homers trail only Kyle Schwarber and Yordan Alvarez’s 24. While his 2.8 fWAR places Byron 11th in baseball and 5th in the American League, it’s 1st among outfielders.The three vote-getters ahead of him, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Cody Bellinger, rank 16th, 19th, and 13th in the MLB respectively.

Of course, All-Star voting is largely a popularity contest. Both Judge and Bellinger play forthe Yankees, while Trout is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in the midst of a resurgent season.

As long as Buxton finishes among the top six, (he’s currently ahead of Riley Greene and Julio Rodriguez), he’ll make the roster. But really, he deserves to be the starting center fielder.

Derek Shelton shuffling Twins outfield

Derek Shelton’s depleted roster has struggled this season, but they could be getting more reinforcements soon. Kyler Fedko was promoted on Monday to make his major league debut, and that will help to alleviate the roster churn in the outfield alongside Buxton.

Beyond just Fedko, youngster Alan Roden (acquired in the Louie Varland trade) is now finally healthy and has returned to the St. Paul Saints. Roden played in just 12 games for the Twins last year, and began this season with Triple-A St. Paul.

After a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder shelved him this season, he’s back and ready to rock. In 19 games for the Saints, Roden has batted .275 with an .889 OPS. He has three homers and more walks (17) than strikeouts (14). With Austin Martin slumping, and Trevor Larnach remaining mediocre, Roden could infuse a different look.

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