It's been said for years: When healthy — Byron Buxton is one of the best players in baseball. The "When Healthy" section has always been a bit tricky, but today he showed once again why talent is so hard to ignore.

Buxton put his skills on full display in the 6-2 win over the Rangers at Target Field in the Twin Cities. Not only did he hit three hits for the second time in a row, but he also turned the third inning into a solo show: a point-saving catch and a towering three-point home run.

"We see images from the midfielders that we will never forget," said Twin Cities head coach Rocco Baldelli. "Hats off to all the witnesses here tonight. It's a rare mesmerizing show on the pitch. "

In the top half of the third inning, with the Rangers leading 2-0 and two outs on first and second base, Marcus Semien struck David Festa's incoming ball into the left outfield gap. Buxton sped at world-class speed and swooped in with a backhand dive to catch a flat fly ball that could have lost two points.
"It's not questionable, but the ball does go deep into the gap," Festa said. "This garrison is a testament to how special he is and how helpful he is to me. "

At the bottom of the half, the top two hitters of the Twins went up to base, and Buxton sent them back in flashy fashion. The midfielder blasted Jack Leiter's slider into the deepest midfield area of the court, and Statcast measured 479 feet. The three-point home run was the second-farthest in MLB this season, behind only Mike Trout's 484-foot home run on April 19.
Buxton led the team with an 11th run (3-2 lead) and was the fourth-farthest in the Twins' history since Statcast tracked it in 2015:

496 feet: Miguel Sano throws Ross Detwiler to the White Sox right on target field, Sept. 18, 2019
495 feet: Nick Pivetta, right-handed shot for Red Sox at Fenway Court, Aug. 26, 2021
483 feet: Kennys Vargas throws Derek Holland to the White Sox left on target field, June 21, 2017
479 feet: Buxton in today
It was also the fourth farthest target course in 2015. Mets Pete Alonso hit a 489-foot bomb on July 18, 2019.

When asked which of his favorite offensive and defensive performances he prefers, Buxton responded succinctly:
"My catch. It's no secret that defense is better than offense. My guard leads the attack. "

Both brought about a huge turn of momentum that the team desperately needed. The Twins have lost four of their last five games, including Tuesday's 2-16 defeat to the Rangers. After Wednesday early period, Buxton stepped up to show how it could affect both ends of the floor.
"Especially when you save a point and score immediately after conceding it – it quickly breaks down the opponent's morale," Buxton said.

In the 10 games since returning from a concussion in a collision with Carlos Correa in Baltimore on May 26, Buxton has been in hot form: .350 batting average (40 hits, 14 amps), including three second runs, one hit, 16 RBIs, seven strikeouts and seven strikeouts, and all three stolen bases.

Wright is as confused as everyone else about how to solve Buxton at this moment:
"If you have an answer, please let me know - I'm helpless tonight. He was precise in his selection, and we were still penalized for pitching as reported by scouts. "