Article: Byron Buxton Recalled

[Dantes929]

 

I think the Twins promote too slowly in the lower Minors A to A+ and A+ to AA allowing them to dominate lesser talents.  Once they get to AA though the Twins seem to zip them to the majors without getting the experience of playing against other more developed minor leaguers who are more in line with the talent level of those players.  They then have to learn at the majors and develop some bad habits trying to keep up with established Major League Pitchers/Hitters.  If they would move them quickly through the lower minors and slow them down a bit in AA and AAA I think the jump to MLB wouldn't be as jarring as it has been for many of the Twins prospects lately.  Just my opinion. 

That is a well reasoned position.     Different from the position  that if it was a decision that the Twins made that didn't work out then it was a bad decision in the first place.    IYO, was Buxton held too long at any of the lower levels?     Personally I think he could have got a little more seasoning at AAA especially in light of his lost season  but have been told there is often more talent at AA than AAA.      People have made the jump successfully and I don't think getting a look at major league ball is detrimental to development.   

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

Who knows if this will stick or not. I'm hoping Buxton has figured things out.

 

Sure learning to hit at the MLB level in the MLB makes sense. He needed to work on  quite a few things with his swing in Rochester. But you know what else his time in AAA was supposed to do? Give him confidence. And I think the Twins undershot the importance of this.

 

After the demotion, I wanted Buxton, our stud #1 prospect, to stay in Rochester as long as it would take for him to feel like the world beater we think he'll can be. So he's mashed over the past 2-3+ weeks. Let him mash some more! Nothing is hurt letting him kill AAA pitching for an extra few weeks. He's not returning to Minnesota to save the season. The season is lost. 2017 is now the priority and I want Buxton to be fixed WITHOUT A DOUBT heading into the offseason.

 

Now, I have to imagine he's heading to Oakland feeling good, but still questioning if his AAA success will translate. I don't think he's far enough removed from his terrible start in the majors this season. If he had been given more time in the minors and he continued to mash, I can only imagine what he would look like or be thinking during a return in July or even August. Mashing AAA pitching for 2-3 months, I would think, would get him thinking that his time to shine in Minnesota has arrived and all the doubts from April would be distant in his memory.

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

I don't buy the whole AA is better thing.

 

There may be more high upside guys there longer than in AAA, but there are a lot of AAAA players in AAA, guys that know how to play and have talent. I'd guess the competition is more consistently good, and has a few upside guys. Based on the data that someone shared about the top players, most play more in AAA than you'd expect.

[Dantes929]

 

Who knows if this will stick or not. I'm hoping Buxton has figured things out.

 

Sure learning to hit at the MLB level in the MLB makes sense. He needed to work on  quite a few things with his swing in Rochester. But you know what else his time in AAA was supposed to do? Give him confidence. And I think the Twins undershot the importance of this.

 

After the demotion, I wanted Buxton, our stud #1 prospect, to stay in Rochester as long as it would take for him to feel like the world beater we think he'll can be. So he's mashed over the past 2-3+ weeks. Let him mash some more! Nothing is hurt letting him kill AAA pitching for an extra few weeks. He's not returning to Minnesota to save the season. The season is lost. 2017 is now the priority and I want Buxton to be fixed WITHOUT A DOUBT heading into the offseason.

 

Now, I have to imagine he's heading to Oakland feeling good, but still questioning if his AAA success will translate. I don't think he's far enough removed from his terrible start in the majors this season. If he had been given more time in the minors and he continued to mash, I can only imagine what he would look like or be thinking during a return in July or even August. Mashing AAA pitching for 2-3 months, I would think, would get him thinking that his time to shine in Minnesota has arrived and all the doubts from April would be distant in his memory.

Only real issue is the without a doubt part.    He can mash forever in AAA and still have doubt about his ability to hit in the majors.    If the first two guys he faces are Kershaw and Felix and he wears the collar he is going to have doubts.    If he faces a lesser guy and happens to get a few hits it might cause him to relax and get into a rhythm that will serve him well.    I'm just hoping he gets off to a good start this time around which is the same thing I would hope for if he stayed in the minors for another couple months and was then brought back up.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

That is a well reasoned position.     Different from the position  that if it was a decision that the Twins made that didn't work out then it was a bad decision in the first place.    IYO, was Buxton held too long at any of the lower levels?     Personally I think he could have got a little more seasoning at AAA especially in light of his lost season  but have been told there is often more talent at AA than AAA.      People have made the jump successfully and I don't think getting a look at major league ball is detrimental to development.   

 

He was all around rushed.  He needed more time in the high minors, but least we forget, his first full season he played in 2 levels of A ball (and did quite well). He started his second full season in high A and promptly got hurt and missed pretty much the whole year. 

[Dantes929]

 

I don't buy the whole AA is better thing.

 

There may be more high upside guys there longer than in AAA, but there are a lot of AAAA players in AAA, guys that know how to play and have talent. I'd guess the competition is more consistently good, and has a few upside guys. Based on the data that someone shared about the top players, most play more in AAA than you'd expect.

Not sure either but I have seen a lot of arguments for and against.    Players have made the jump successfully and of course if they do it is not questioned.     Of course no one knows unless it is tried.   

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

 

This better be for good. If they yank him around again, I don't know what insanity will take over me.

 

I think there needs to be a hierarchy or categorization in call ups.

 

Call ups to replace starters lost to 7-day or 15-day DL stints (basically a week or two) should be reserved for non-elite prospects. These are the guys the organization can afford to ship back-and-forth between Minnesota and Rochester. Playing time, at least with this manager, seems to be spotty at best for these call ups who have to share starts with the MLB reserves.

 

Elite prospects should have their call ups be EVENTS! Must-see TV. Get the fan base excited. Do it at home. And they should be called up for good, or at least a 1-2 month, playing full-time audition. If these guys are the future, they need to know the FO trusts them to take over.

 

Obviously the current FO has not followed this thinking. The call ups of Buxton, Meyer, Kepler, Polanco, and Berrios have seemed to be made not out of a plan but because the 25-man had an open slot. And when they have arrived, playing time for those other than Buxton and Berrios (b/c of his rotation slot) have been way too inconsistent and limited.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I think there needs to be a hierarchy or categorization in call ups.

 

Call ups to replace starters lost to 7-day or 15-day DL stints (basically a week or two) should be reserved for non-elite prospects. These are the guys the organization can afford to ship back-and-forth between Minnesota and Rochester. Playing time, at least with this manager, seems to be spotty at best for these call ups who have to share starts with the MLB reserves.

 

Elite prospects should have their call ups be EVENTS! Must-see TV. Get the fan base excited. Do it at home. And they should be called up for good, or at least a 1-2 month, playing full-time audition. If these guys are the future, they need to know the FO trusts them to take over.

 

Obviously the current FO has not followed this thinking. The call ups of Buxton, Meyer, Kepler, Polanco, and Berrios have seemed to be made not out of a plan but because the 25-man had an open slot. And when they have arrived, playing time for those other than Buxton and Berrios (b/c of his rotation slot) have been way too inconsistent and limited.

 

I don't think it's quite that simple (nor should it be).  There's only 15 spots on the 40 man reserved for minor leaguers.  I think if a prospect is doing fine and on the 40 man, that cup of coffee is going to be good for him.  A rotating DFA list on a 40 man roster will eventually bite you in the rear.

 

I do think it's reasonable to say that if you call up a prospect on said list, that you play them with some consistency.  A day or two on the bench isn't going to hurt a kid's development.  Weeks on the bench certainly will.

[Marzen2016]

I am extremely excited to see if he has made the necessary adjustments. He has all the talent and the tools in the world to succeed.

 

He does bring an excitement for at least the next two weeks games that is not on the roster right now besides Sano. Makes me want to watch this game tonight to see if he can succeed. Also believe they should bat him 9th as long as Nunez is still rolling.

[ashbury]

You two are not alone.    There is probably a separate place for these complaints but now sure where to go.    I have given up on several topics because of it.

Moderator's note:

 

http://twinsdaily.com/forum/13-questions-about-minncentric/

 

[Jgcarew]

I like the idea of letting him see MLB stuff. And I agree with the top of the line thinking that says he'll see the starter that additional time. And if you bat him in the 2 hole it'll be less pressure. Season's shot. There's no pitching on this team. I don't care if bats behind Mauer. Don't care if steals zero based. Learn to hit. Let Molitor and Mastroianni teach how how to steal later

[MileHighTwinsFan]

More than anything I am looking for some confidence at the plate.  I see many similarities between him and Hicks when he first came up.   They employed a passive, take pitches approach hoping to work themselves into favorable counts, only to find themselves consistently behind.

 

Hicks, with a new batting stance, became far more aggressive at the plate and showed some promise.

 

I think if Buxton can convince himself to be more aggressive, by looking for pitches to hit early in the count, putting the ball in play and relying on his incredible speed, he will see some success as well.

 

The strikeouts may still be too high, but I would suspect to see him make more consistent, solid contact.

 

Once the confidence is there, he can make the adjustments he needs to be a more complete hitter.  

[Otto von Ballpark]

I too would have liked to see him in AAA a little longer, but as a fan, I am excited to see his return and I hope he can stick this time! Honestly, if he is comfortable and confident enough at the plate to not K 50% of the time anymore, he can probably start making his adjustments at the MLB level.

[Riverbrian]

If he is still striking out at an unusually high rate. He will have to go back down.

 

If his contact is up... I think he should stay up. Even if other metrics are low. 

[Reider]

 

Still don't see how mashing away at AAA is gonna help him figure out how to hit major league pitching.

Agreed. I've always believed that once you master one level, then you can move up to the next level. There's always a big question mark when players jump levels (e.g. AA to MLB), but if a player has mastered AAA, then I have no problem with him moving up to the next challenge (MLB).

 

It's okay if young players fail a few times at the MLB level before they make it (e.g. Ben Revere). They are still young and developing. I don't expect a 19-22 year old player to be an all-star at the MLB level.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Reider

[David HK]

I'm just...  I can't.....  Ach, whatever.  

 

This team's (to quote the great Joe Angel) "brain-thrust" seems to have gray matter leaking out their ears.

[DocBauer]

I want to contribute to this thread...but sure I can.

 

I get he's the next man up. I get that he's performing well the past month. I get and hope this will turn out to be "his time" even if he doesn't knock anyone's socks off right away. And that is also OK.

 

But I really wanted another few weeks, if not a month, to help insure that his "time" was really the right time.

 

Blast him all you want, but of Mastroianni was healthy and available for a week or two, would this thread even exist? And if he was, keeping Buxton down longer, would that be a bad thing?

 

It's just so damn frustrating! Our OF, of late, has been a miscast 3B in RF, a utility guy in CF, a d a waiver pickup. There is just something inherentlyrics wrong here with this picture.

[tobi0040]

I want to contribute to this thread...but sure I can.

 

I get he's the next man up. I get that he's performing well the past month. I get and hope this will turn out to be "his time" even if he doesn't knock anyone's socks off right away. And that is also OK.

 

But I really wanted another few weeks, if not a month, to help insure that his "time" was really the right time.

 

Blast him all you want, but of Mastroianni was healthy and available for a week or two, would this thread even exist? And if he was, keeping Buxton down longer, would that be a bad thing?

 

It's just so damn frustrating! Our OF, of late, has been a miscast 3B in RF, a utility guy in CF, a d a waiver pickup. There is just something inherentlyrics wrong here with this picture.

In the pre-game today Smalley talked of a completely new swing mechanics, with an altered leg kick. So they changed the mechanics of his swing, gave him 28 games in AAA, and brought him back

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

 

In the pre-game today Smalley talked of a completely new swing mechanics, with an altered leg kick. So they changed the mechanics of his swing, gave him 28 games in AAA, and brought him back

I missed his first 3 at bats, but saw his last one. Although I liked that he was able to keep his last at bat alive...the supposed 'leg kick' looked very very minimal. His mechanics also seemed off and very much swinging with his arms. 

 

Can anyone let me know whether he was incorporating a higher leg kick in his earlier at bats? I watched video of his HR's in the minors and the leg kick was high, which I liked. 

 

The other question was how many swing and misses did he have in his first three at bats? He swung and miss at all three strikes in the last at bat, which the swinging strike (contact) is the biggest question with him. Please let me know.

 

*Im still in the thinking that batting him 1st or 2nd would be much more beneficial to his development. Getting more at bats, possibly one more vs a starter, or seeing the 6th or 7th inning reliever instead of the 8th inning guy....can all make small little differences that add up.

[tobi0040]

I almost wonder if they should move him up a spot or two, just for psychology.

 

When he sees his name #9, don't you think he thinks he is the worst hitter in the lineup?

[USAFChief]

I almost wonder if they should move him up a spot or two, just for psychology.

When he sees his name #9, don't you think he thinks he is the worst hitter in the lineup?

Maybe...but that's still better than #1 in Rochester, no?

[tobi0040]

Yea. Just not sure we lose much if we swap Kurt and Buxton. Better than AAA though

[Kwak]

I favored keeping Buxton in Rochester--but this is for injury replacement. However, should (cross fingers and say a rosary) Buxton hits above expectations (including working the count and taking walks!) I advocate leaving Buxton as the regular CF. D. Santana ​has not won a starting job! ​Hence, there is no reason to hand it back to him when he returns--Santana is actually the placeholder for Buxton, not vice versa!

 

If Buxton stumbles (Boo!)--well that's another story. But, Buxton should start every game at CF while Santana is gone. Patience. 

[Mike Sixel]

Expect something on Buxton from Fangraphs soon/today:

 

from Eno's chat:

1:58 
Just realized that I have a Story interview I haven't done, I talked to Buxton about the leg kick, and I want to write that Dozier thing. I guess I'll get one done.

[Loosey]

The results haven't shown yet, but I like what I have seen in Buxton's first 2 games back.  I know he has 3 strikeouts in 3 of his 8 at bats, but his swings looks more decisive.  In his first stint this year he looked to be swinging to make contact a lot of the time.  His swings now look like he is trying to drive the ball somewhere hard. 

 

2 hits in 8 at bats isn't awful, neither is 3 strikeouts in 8 at bats.  It is a small sample size, but I am optimistic this time around even though I was/am in the camp thinking he should have stayed in AAA longer.

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

 

The results haven't shown yet, but I like what I have seen in Buxton's first 2 games back.  I know he has 3 strikeouts in 3 of his 8 at bats, but his swings looks more decisive.  In his first stint this year he looked to be swinging to make contact a lot of the time.  His swings now look like he is trying to drive the ball somewhere hard. 

 

2 hits in 8 at bats isn't awful, neither is 3 strikeouts in 8 at bats.  It is a small sample size, but I am optimistic this time around even though I was/am in the camp thinking he should have stayed in AAA longer.

I have missed a few of his at bats, but I am actually very disappointed with his swing mechanics that I've seen thus far. Seems very out of sink, stepping too early, no pronounced leg kick, and results in using all arms (even on his last single), doesn't get a lot of torque because he doesn't get much hip whip. Hopefully hes able to get that pronounced leg kick he had in AAA back because I haven't seen it at all.

[Otto von Ballpark]

The results haven't shown yet, but I like what I have seen in Buxton's first 2 games back. I know he has 3 strikeouts in 3 of his 8 at bats, but his swings looks more decisive. In his first stint this year he looked to be swinging to make contact a lot of the time. His swings now look like he is trying to drive the ball somewhere hard.

 

2 hits in 8 at bats isn't awful, neither is 3 strikeouts in 8 at bats. It is a small sample size, but I am optimistic this time around even though I was/am in the camp thinking he should have stayed in AAA longer.

Didn't we hear similar encouraging observations the first couple games of the season?

[Loosey]

 

I have missed a few of his at bats, but I am actually very disappointed with his swing mechanics that I've seen thus far. Seems very out of sink, stepping too early, no pronounced leg kick, and results in using all arms (even on his last single), doesn't get a lot of torque because he doesn't get much hip whip. Hopefully hes able to get that pronounced leg kick he had in AAA back because I haven't seen it at all.

Perhaps I am seeing what I want to see then. . . . But I thought his swing look much more purposeful and not as arms flailing as a before.

[Badsmerf]

It doesn't look like he's comfortable yet. As long as he plays everyday, and gets more exposure to the MLB, this is a good move. Remember, it isn't only about adjusting on the field, it is adjusting to the lifestyle as well. He is a young kid with a ton of talent and expectations. All it will take is a few good games IMO. 

[ashbury]

My tiny sample size of watching Buxton in two games in Oakland is that he remains at a Pat Dean level of battling each plate appearance, each pitch. I didn't get a sense of mastery of the strike zone, in a way that I do sense from Sano (even though the latter's results are still spotty). Trouble with laying off the breaking pitch in the dirt or the low outside fastball, still swinging through pitches that were probably in the strike zone... but, a little better success (than I remember before) at battling with two strikes, and making contact with the ball to ultimately achieve a couple of hits, plus he legged out a FC that by rights should have been an easy DP. Still very much a work in progress and the outcome could go either way.