Byron Buxton played well despite the Twins' loss on Saturday.
The Minnesota Twins were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, losing by a final score of 11-4. The good news is that Byron Buxton continued to swing the bat well. The Twins star outfielder had just one hit, but it was a big one as he crushed a home run in the ball game. According to Aaron Gleeman, Buxton has now hit 10 home runs in his last 17 games played.
Buxton, 32, is looking for more all-around consistency at the plate. He is now hitting .260/.315/.542 across 31 games played during the 2026 campaign. The power has not been a problem for him, as evidenced by his 10 home runs this year. He was not consistently hitting the long ball earlier in the season, but that has clearly changed over his past 17 games.
Buxton is coming off of a 2025 season that saw him hit a career-high 35 home runs. Before 2025, Buxton had never recorded more than 28 home runs in a single season. Injuries have often limited him, though. If Buxton had not previously struggled with injuries, he would likely have multiple seasons of 30 or more homers.
He will surely reach 30 home runs this season if he can stay healthy. In fact, Buxton may even end up setting a new career-high during the 2026 campaign. 40 long balls is not out of the question for the Twins star.
Twins Lose to Blue Jays Despite Another Byron Buxton Home Run
Buxton's home run provided the Twins with a bright spot on Saturday. It was an otherwise forgettable contest for the ball club, however.
Starting pitcher Connor Prielipp performed well for the most part, giving up only two runs in five innings of work. The Twins' bullpen struggled, though, as they surrendered nine more runs in the defeat.
Offensively, the team recorded seven hits and four runs in the contest. Trevor Larnach had two hits in the game, while Buxton had the team's only home run.
The Blue Jays now lead the four-game series 2-1. Minnesota earned a win in the first game on Thursday by a final score of 7-1. Toronto answered with a 7-3 victory on Friday and the aforementioned 11-4 win on Saturday. The Twins can still split the series by winning on Sunday.
The Twins and Blue Jays clash on Sunday afternoon is scheduled for 12:45 PM EST in Minnesota.