Buxton....

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

Recent history? What recent history are you referring to?

His 2013 was very impressive indeed. His 2012 debut, was good, but not spectacular. Yes, he was battling injuries, but it wasn't like he just had 50 at bats last year. He had almost 200 at bats between A+ and the Arizona Fall Leauge. He didn't hit well at either, combined at barely over .240 avg and barely over .300 OBP. Just saying, what if that isnt all due to injury?

 

I think the kid will be good...just not sure how good, or how soon we will see this. Pumping the breaks is all. Definitely rooting for him and think he CAN rediscover his 2013 form, but it certainly isn't guaranteed to happen.

 

Glad to see he had a good day though, even if it was against shady pitchers, and got caught stealing.

[jokin]

 

His 2013 was very impressive indeed. His 2012 debut, was good, but not spectacular. Yes, he was battling injuries, but it wasn't like he just had 50 at bats last year. He had almost 200 at bats between A+ and the Arizona Fall Leauge. He didn't hit well at either, combined at barely over .240 avg and barely over .300 OBP. Just saying, what if that isnt all due to injury?

I think the kid will be good...just not sure how good, or how soon we will see this. Pumping the breaks is all. Definitely rooting for him and think he CAN rediscover his 2013 form, but it certainly isn't guaranteed to happen.

Glad to see he had a good day though, even if it was against shady pitchers, and got caught stealing.

 

 

Just so we're clear, are you fully aware of the ordeal that 2014 was for Buxton? Those 198 PAs were not played in such a vacuum that would make cursory analysis in any way useful for projection purposes.

 

 

Injury one

On March 16, Buck sprained the pisotriquetral joint of his left wrist.  This is located in a key locus for providing various types of wrist movement, but importantly, also a relatively avascular area, meaning that the speed of the healing process is retarded and uneven, and difficult to diagnose and treat. 

 

Injury two

Did I say wrist injuries are difficult to diagnose and treat?  After nearly two months on the DL, Buxton played in only five games in May before re-aggravating the original injury, suggesting that it still hadn't properly fully healed and strengthened, and necessitating another two month trip (to the day) to the DL.

 

Injury three

So really, Buck had only participated in one half of Spring Training, and missed basically almost all of the next four months of action. At that point, anyone could reasonably write off-   and attach to a "lost season"-   whatever minimal developmental results could still hope to be salvaged in 2014.   But upon his return on July 8, and after adjusting in his first few games, over an 8 game stretch, Buck's batting line was thus:

 

.367/.472/.633/(1.106)

 

...  culminating in a torrid 5-game stretch and ending with an extra-inning game where Buxton reached base 7 times in 9 PAs-   including a HR, 3 singles, 2 BB, 1 HBP.    Unfortunately, one of those reaches was being hit by a pitch on the other wrist.   He actually played through the pain over 9 innings in that 17-inning game, but likely aggravated the injury by doing so.  Buck was then forced into missing yet another week's worth of games.  Ultimately, Buxton played 18 more games at Fort Myers,  but was obviously deleteriously affected by that latest wrist injury.

 

Injury four

We all remember the horrific-looking collision in his first game in AA on August 13, leading to him being knocked out cold, and effectively ending his regular season.  Given what we have learned about concussions, the symptoms can linger, sometimes for years.   Buxton didn't have years though, instead of adjusting to AA pitching through 500 PAs over a full season, the only option for salvaging his season was to send him in early October into the burning cauldron of young electric arms that is the Arizona Fall League,  against the top pitching prospects in each organization, and mostly from AA and AAA.

 

Injury five

In his 13th AFL game, Buxton dislocates and fractures the middle finger of his left hand, requiring surgery.... and finally and fitfully ending a nightmarish season.

 

 

I think it's worthwhile to let 2015 play out for Buxton and give him the huge benefit of the doubt.   Besides the obvious difficulty of all the rust accumulated in a lost 2014 season, there is still a good chance for lingering or recurring symptoms from any or all of his injuries to have some effect on his overall game. 

 

 

 

[gunnarthor]

Jokin summed it up pretty well but it worth pointing out that, once he got some reps at a level and consistent playing time, he was pretty good.  That's why most prospect evaluators still have him as the #1 or #2 prospect in baseball.

 

Give him time to adapt to AA, we always hear it's the biggest jump.  He'll be fine.

[Halsey Hall]

 

Setting the bar kinda low, Halsey?  

 

Yeah, he's exactly like all the other "ordinary" CF prospects and suspects that have paraded through Spring Training over the last 3 seasons.

Might as well set the bar low.  Set it high and get disappointed or set it low and be pleased. 

Granted, I haven't seen him play alot, no one has the last couple of years.  I'm not sure ordinary and average equate, But nothing I've seen in person makes him stand out from others except his speed.  He's fast on the basepaths, and in the outfield, but needs work on taking routes.  The more he plays the better he should get at thiat.  Speed is one thing that can't be taught.  I'm hopefull of the hype, but remain cautious. 

[kab21]

I think we would all be very happy if Melvin (BJ) Upton is Buxton downside.  He averaged 3.5 WAR for 6 seasons before the bottom fell out with the Braves.  He was actually really good for awhile.  Buxton is pretty great and he has a lot more upside but he's still just a prospect.

 

Talk about having the worst luck with names.  His birth name is Melvin and his nickname is BJ.  I cannot imagine the teasing that happened at school.