For all the evidence that Byron Buxton has had an All-Star season, the supporting statistics start and end with this simple number: 73. That's the total of games in which the Minnesota Twins have had their dynamic center fielder in the starting lineup,

And this time, after consulting with teammates, family and friends, the Twins center fielder is going as a Monday night Home Run Derby participant next week, too. The last, and first, time Buxton played in the All-Star Game was 2022 in Los Angeles, when he homered in an American League victory at Dodger Stadium.

On Monday, Buxton announced that he would participate in the 2025 Home Run Derby. There will be whispers about his health, the risks, and the way misfortune seems to find him. But Buxton, for the second time in a decade-long career, is set to be celebrated on the national stage. He's not turning that down.