Buxton Developing At The Plate?

[Loosey]

Byron Buxton has played in all 15 games since he was recalled from AAA Rochester and the results, while not mind blowing, are substantially better than his first stint up this season.

 

Buxton has managed to hit a line of .259/.281/.444 (.725) since his May 31 recall (including a 1-20 stretch).  As of late he has shown some flashes of what we can hope to expect at a greater clip in the future with a HR on Monday and a laced double in each game on Tuesday and Wednesday.  He also hit a few pretty hard hit outs which is encouraging.  Event he the at bats he has struck out in have been much more professional and quality.  Which brings me to my next point.

 

More importantly we have seen his strikeout rate decline from 50% in his first call up to 31% in this current stint, Still above league average but improving.  He is still learning the strike zone and pitch recognition at the Major League level which is clear from his K/BB ratio of 18/2.

 

I have seen improvement and believe he has earned his way into becoming the full-time Centerfielder when Santana comes back.

 

If he were to have started out the season with the line he has during this stint, what would be the feeling surrounding him.

 

I think we are seeing him turn a corner.  There is still a long ways to go to reach his full potential, but the future has been and is continuing to be bright for Mr. Buxton.

 

 

 

 

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, I think he's improving.  Still need to see him take a few walks and he still has some really bad at-bats but not as many.  -shrug-  He's developing.  He'll have more ups and downs but he'll figure it out.

[wsnydes]

As mentioned in other threads, he's not had a lot of AB's in higher minors or MLB.  He's learning and getting better but it'll take some time.  I'm not worried and it's good to see him improving.  

[John Kelsey]

I hope to god that he and Kepler continue playing and Santana stays in AAA, but I don't expect that to happen. 

[CampQ]

I hope to god that he and Kepler continue playing and Santana stays in AAA, but I don't expect that to happen.

Is Santana out of options? If he is, he'll have to pass waivers when he's activated from the DL before he can be sent down.

[alarp33]

 

Is Santana out of options? If he is, he'll have to pass waivers when he's activated from the DL before he can be sent down.

 

Yes he is out of options.. and fine by me

[CampQ]

Yes he is out of options.. and fine by me

Apparently more valuable than Arcia though

[Brock Beauchamp]

Buxton plays every day. Kepler plays every day.

 

Evaluate in November.

[ewen21]

 

Buxton plays every day. Kepler plays every day.

 

Evaluate in November.

i would hope they evaluate on an ongoing basis.  Simply throwing them out there does little for their development.  They need to be taught.

[nytwinsfan]

 

i would hope they evaluate on an ongoing basis.  Simply throwing them out there does little for their development.  They need to be taught.

Serious question, and I am really not trying to be intentionally obtuse here. Why does sitting on the bench help their development better than playing? Whether they are sitting on the bench most or some days or playing every day, they will be getting the same amount of BP and pre-game instruction. The only difference is that when they play every day they will also be getting 3-5 PAs against quality pitching. Now if you think that the poor performance by Buxton is causing him to lose confidence, that might be a reason to send him to AAA, but just benching him isn't going to do wonders for his confidence either. Give him a day or two off, sure, to rest and to let his mind recover from the drubbing of a 3 K day. But other than that, he should either be playing every day in the MLB or every day at AAA.  Since he has dominated AAA at every turn, I think he needs to figure it out at the MLB level, even if it takes the next year and a half. It isn't like the Twins can get any worse (and I say that in all seriousness). From the perspective of our current situation, I'd rather lose 10 more games this season because we play the developing players more and win a single extra game next year because of it. This season is lost, and anyone who disagrees has the biggest case of denial the world has ever seen.

[Riverbrian]

I hate to say this but... I have to. 

 

Byron Buxton looks like a carbon copy of Brian Dozier at the plate. 

 

Trying to pull outside pitches. I'm not seeing a lot of balls hit on the ground and he's kind of fast. 

 

K's and Flyballs is how Buxton is usually retired. 

 

That has got me worried. 

[HitInAPinch]

 

I hate to say this but... I have to. 

 

Byron Buxton looks like a carbon copy of Brian Dozier at the plate. 

 

Trying to pull outside pitches. I'm not seeing a lot of balls hit on the ground and he's kind of fast. 

 

K's and Flyballs is how Buxton is usually retired. 

 

That has got me worried. 

Buxton is not in the lineup today.  D. Santana in CF. 

 

I'm just hoping that this doesn't mean Buxton goes back to AAA.  He needs to learn how to handle the pressure in the MLB.

[HitInAPinch]

 

 

Serious question, and I am really not trying to be intentionally obtuse here. Why does sitting on the bench help their development better than playing? Whether they are sitting on the bench most or some days or playing every day, they will be getting the same amount of BP and pre-game instruction. The only difference is that when they play every day they will also be getting 3-5 PAs against quality pitching. Now if you think that the poor performance by Buxton is causing him to lose confidence, that might be a reason to send him to AAA, but just benching him isn't going to do wonders for his confidence either. Give him a day or two off, sure, to rest and to let his mind recover from the drubbing of a 3 K day. But other than that, he should either be playing every day in the MLB or every day at AAA.  Since he has dominated AAA at every turn, I think he needs to figure it out at the MLB level, even if it takes the next year and a half. It isn't like the Twins can get any worse (and I say that in all seriousness). From the perspective of our current situation, I'd rather lose 10 more games this season because we play the developing players more and win a single extra game next year because of it. This season is lost, and anyone who disagrees has the biggest case of denial the world has ever seen.

Yeah, Buxton absolutely needs to figure all this out in the MLB.  Playtime at AAA is over. 

Santana is starting in CF today.  I'm hoping the original plan is still in place with Buxton starting and DanSan as the backup. 

[Riverbrian]

 

Buxton is not in the lineup today.  D. Santana in CF. 

 

I'm just hoping that this doesn't mean Buxton goes back to AAA.  He needs to learn how to handle the pressure in the MLB.

 

I'm hoping that it simply means that Molitor isn't going to put anybody else to sleep.

 

I'm hoping this the beginning of a rotation so Molitor doesnt have to make those type of decisions anymore. 

[mikelink45]

All the postings and speculation all come back to the fact that there is no plan.  

[ewen21]

 

Serious question, and I am really not trying to be intentionally obtuse here. Why does sitting on the bench help their development better than playing? Whether they are sitting on the bench most or some days or playing every day, they will be getting the same amount of BP and pre-game instruction. The only difference is that when they play every day they will also be getting 3-5 PAs against quality pitching. Now if you think that the poor performance by Buxton is causing him to lose confidence, that might be a reason to send him to AAA, but just benching him isn't going to do wonders for his confidence either. Give him a day or two off, sure, to rest and to let his mind recover from the drubbing of a 3 K day. But other than that, he should either be playing every day in the MLB or every day at AAA.  Since he has dominated AAA at every turn, I think he needs to figure it out at the MLB level, even if it takes the next year and a half. It isn't like the Twins can get any worse (and I say that in all seriousness). From the perspective of our current situation, I'd rather lose 10 more games this season because we play the developing players more and win a single extra game next year because of it. This season is lost, and anyone who disagrees has the biggest case of denial the world has ever seen.

Not sure why you're asking me that.  You think I want him benched?   Not at all true.  Ideally, Buxton shouldn't have been called up.in the first place.  They rolled the dice again and hoped he could take the job out of camp.  He couldn't handle it and was sent down OBVIOUSLY because he needs more development time.  I don't want him sitting down.  He was called up because the roster is so darn thin.  If I had my way I would have allowed Buxton at least another month down there, maybe more.

 

I also think he is having a hard time letting go of the hotshot prospect tag and that this next jump is mostly mental.  Not everyone jumps from AA to the majors.  He needed more time in AAA or even AA because his bat just isn't there for whatever reason.

[ewen21]

 

Buxton is not in the lineup today.  D. Santana in CF. 

 

I'm just hoping that this doesn't mean Buxton goes back to AAA.  He needs to learn how to handle the pressure in the MLB.

I have to agree with this to a certain extent.  Take a look at his numbers against NY and BOS during this homestand:

0-19 with 12 Ks.  Against NY he had 7 Ks in 9 at bats.

 

Let's not act like these games for him are any old game.  

[nytwinsfan]

 

Not sure why you're asking me that.  You think I want him benched?   Not at all true.  Ideally, Buxton shouldn't have been called up.in the first place.  They rolled the dice again and hoped he could take the job out of camp.  He couldn't handle it and was sent down OBVIOUSLY because he needs more development time.  I don't want him sitting down.  He was called up because the roster is so darn thin.  If I had my way I would have allowed Buxton at least another month down there, maybe more.

 

I also think he is having a hard time letting go of the hotshot prospect tag and that this next jump is mostly mental.  Not everyone jumps from AA to the majors.  He needed more time in AAA or even AA because his bat just isn't there for whatever reason.

Because Brock said "Buxton plays every day" and then in direct response you said "i would hope they evaluate on an ongoing basis" meaning they should evaluate whether he plays every day on an ongoing basis? Sorry if I misunderstood, but it seemed like the right interpretation. 

 

In any event, Buxton has destroyed AAA every time he's been there. Yes, he wasn't there for that long, but by all accounts, including both eye test and stats, he was crushing it. How does going back to AAA to crush it some more there help him get ready for MLB when he's already done that on multiple occasions?  And when is a better time for him to work through his issues handling MLB pitching than when the team is the worst team in baseball and there is literally nothing to lose?

 

The one place I agree with you is that much of his struggles at the MLB level are mental. But again, how does crushing AAA for another month help him mentally deal with the difficulties of MLB pitching? He needs to work through them, not retreat from them. It just takes time, which coincidentally is something the Twins have a lot of right now.

[ewen21]

If he ends up on the bench now then it's tough luck on him.  I wanted him to log more time in AAA, but the Twins called him up.  I didn't want him called up yet.  Now that he's up we have a problem.  If he struggles it becomes an issue.  To what extend to we leave him alone?  The kid just struck out 7 times in his last 9 at bats and has been on a 4-40 run.  At some point you have to say time out

[jimbo92107]

Buxton is still meat for outside curves. Against RH guys he flails on curves that start down the middle, then bend off the plate. Against skilled LF guys like Sabbathia, he stands and watches curves that start a foot off the plate, then bend inwards to nick the outside corner. 

 

He also maintains a high whiff rate, which might make you wonder if he's doing something fundamentally wrong with mechanics. 

 

Both problems come down to a lack of experience facing the next level of pitching. The best pitchers have enough control to work the outside corner with curve balls. It's basically a requirement. In AAA, most of them can't do that consistently, which is why they're not in the Show. AAA pitchers also typically lack the command to change speeds, spins, and move the ball around the zone while doing all that. Plus the number of nothing balls down the middle is drastically lower for pitchers at the highest level. 

 

LH pitcher Tommy Milone is a good example of a marginal MLB arm. His stuff is mediocre, but his command is very good. Milone can nip the outside corner just like Sabbathia and get a lot of standing strikes on guys like Buxton. That's why Milone dominates in AAA - consistent command. Unfortunately, Milone lacks the one thing that would let him dominate at the highest level: velocity. If Milone had a 92 mph heater, he might win 15 games. But then he'd be pitching for some other team.

 

Buxton has indeed been improving at the plate, but it's a long process to develop pitch recognition and have a plan for every pitch. Sabbathia showed us that Buxton doesn't have a plan. The last time he struck out Buxton, anybody could have predicted those outside curves nipping the corner. Why? Because CC saw that Buxton never moved a muscle to offer at them. That's easy pickings for a guy like Sabbathia, who has owned that back door curve his whole career. A smarter (more experienced) hitter would have sat on that pitch and hit it oppo to right field. 

 

Pitchers and catchers study video, plus they remember how they got you out last time. If you don't make an adjustment, they'll just keep doing what got you out last time. 

 

The dilemma for the Twins is that Buxton has already learned to hit the frequent mistakes of AAA pitchers. At this level he must now learn to hit a certain percentage of pitches that are not mistakes. Buxton is supremely gifted physically, but this last tool is the hardest to develop. He must learn situational hitting, pitch recognition, and setting up a pitcher. He must learn to be a clever hitter. 

 

Meanwhile, guess how the next lefty with a back door curve will strike out Buxton. I wonder if the Twins ever have open discussions between their pitchers, catchers and hitters. Topic: How I'd get you out. Might be a good learning experience.

[Bill Brown69]

 

Serious question, and I am really not trying to be intentionally obtuse here. Why does sitting on the bench help their development better than playing? Whether they are sitting on the bench most or some days or playing every day, they will be getting the same amount of BP and pre-game instruction. The only difference is that when they play every day they will also be getting 3-5 PAs against quality pitching. Now if you think that the poor performance by Buxton is causing him to lose confidence, that might be a reason to send him to AAA, but just benching him isn't going to do wonders for his confidence either. Give him a day or two off, sure, to rest and to let his mind recover from the drubbing of a 3 K day. But other than that, he should either be playing every day in the MLB or every day at AAA.  Since he has dominated AAA at every turn, I think he needs to figure it out at the MLB level, even if it takes the next year and a half. It isn't like the Twins can get any worse (and I say that in all seriousness). From the perspective of our current situation, I'd rather lose 10 more games this season because we play the developing players more and win a single extra game next year because of it. This season is lost, and anyone who disagrees has the biggest case of denial the world has ever seen.

 

I doubt this happens any more but in the 50's when my Dad was catching in the minors there was one seat on the bench that was assigned every game. That seat was between the catcher who wasn't catching that day and an assistant coach. Some young or in need of learning or out of focus player was assigned to that seat and the whole game was chatter about what to expect on everything from pitch selection to defense to baserunning covering the whole game from start to finish. The fundamentals are a whole lot easier if your anticipation level is at the peak of the probability factor.

 

[Minniman]

Buxton played against the Tube Sox.

 

He was 0-4 and 0-3 with RISP while grounding into a double play.

 

 

[jimmer]

'Buxton developing at the plate?'

 

Developing into a wind producing fan, which the paying fans sitting behind home plate probably appreciate with the heat and all.

[alarp33]

 

Buxton played against the Tube Sox.

 

He was 0-4 and 0-3 with RISP while grounding into a double play.

 

Thank you for the update

[Eris]

 

 

He also maintains a high whiff rate, which might make you wonder if he's doing something fundamentally wrong with mechanics. 

 

I was watching one of the games versus the Yankees and one of the Yankee commentators indicated that Buxton's swing was too long and he was in need of work to develop a more compact swing.  His long swing leaves him susceptible to breaking balls.  

 

I don't know how to do such an analysis but it would be useful if someone on this board broke down Buxton's swing and compared it to others.

[lukeduke1980]

I only watched 1 at bat of his last night - where did the leg kick go?  

[blindeke]

 

I was watching one of the games versus the Yankees and one of the Yankee commentators indicated that Buxton's swing was too long and he was in need of work to develop a more compact swing.  His long swing leaves him susceptible to breaking balls.  

 

I don't know how to do such an analysis but it would be useful if someone on this board broke down Buxton's swing and compared it to others.

 

It would be even more useful if someone on the Twins' coaching staff did this, and told Byron how to fix it.

[OldTimeTwinkie]

Buxton looks no different now then when I saw him in the AFL. He struggled there also. Kepler looks the same now as he did in the AFL and he is having some success. Their swings are so different that Buxton's swing is going to be an Achilles heel.