TD Top Prospects: #1 Byron Buxton

Platoon · February 20, 2015

I would like to think that if he is healthy and steady in ST, he gets a chance to move north quickly. I can understand getting some rust removing AB's in the minors. But, not only is there no no one blocking him, there is no one, period. There can only be one acceptable reason not to bring him up early this year. That is because there is a "Grand Scheme"! That because of contractual and time of service reasoning the Twins are going to wait until after the ASG to do a major rebuild. I can live with that. But if they try and spend another year pretending that this team has a chance of winning anything, I do think I will start watching hockey!

Blackjack · February 20, 2015

Cross your fingers and hope he stays healthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

adorduan · February 20, 2015

It would be fun to see Buxton on the Twins this year but he is still just 21 years old and I think the key is development and patience. Let him earn the call-up.

nytwinsfan · February 20, 2015

I remember reading this two years ago, before Buxton showed he had the hit tool that BA just ranked a 70, and this portion in particular stood out as being prophetic about his hit tool (and overall ability):

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/like-aaron-hicks-buxton-will-require-patience/

"Buxton’s hand eye coordination is worth mentioning as well. One advantage of arriving at the park four hours before first pitch is the ability to observe everything. In Elizabethton, young Twins players emerged from the locker room early to play a game. The game began with them standing in a circle with a ball in each hand. Then, a round of pseudo-juggling would ensue with players quickly passing a ball to free a hand to catch an incoming ball. When a ball was dropped, the player was out.

Watching Buxton dominate the game was a thing to behold. In a test of peripheral vision, hand speed and hand eye coordination, the teenage phenom was infallible and far above a handful of teammates considered to be legitimate prospects in their own right."

nicksaviking · February 20, 2015

Please, just this once can we have the newest, coolest toy on the market?

Parker Hageman · February 20, 2015

The game began with them standing in a circle with a ball in each hand. Then, a round of pseudo-juggling would ensue with players quickly passing a ball to free a hand to catch an incoming ball. When a ball was dropped, the player was out.

Sort of reminds me of what neuroscouting in the Boston Red Sox's organization found in regards to Mookie Betts: http://twinsdaily.com/topic/16971-red-sox-using-neuroscouting/. I'm guessing Buxton would do well with these tests as well.

Talking about his hit tool, I'm also starting to wonder if he will lose some HR power potential with the adjustments the Twins are making. When he was drafted, he was using his lower half a lot and now they've removed any semblance of a stride. The desired results appear to be working on his ability to make constant contact and putting the ball in play rather than pulling/driving it far.

ericchri · February 20, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Myself, I think I'd rather the guy who hits more triples. Mostly a personal preference thing, but I think triples might be about the most exciting individual play in baseball. For me, anyway.

nytwinsfan · February 20, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Myself, I think I'd rather the guy who hits more triples. Mostly a personal preference thing, but I think triples might be about the most exciting individual play in baseball. For me, anyway.

I personally am most excited for Buxton's first inside the park homerun, which would be more exciting than either a 3B or HR.

jokin · February 20, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Myself, I think I'd rather the guy who hits more triples. Mostly a personal preference thing, but I think triples might be about the most exciting individual play in baseball. For me, anyway.

For a guy with this once-in-a-lifetime-prospect speed, it's all about the OBP. Turning doubles into triples, turning walks and singles into doubles, turning GB outs into infield hits. Let the HRs come when they come. I predict he will end up hitting 20-30 HR/yr as he passes through his mid-20s.

Edited February 20, 2015 by jokin

Otto von Ballpark · February 20, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Myself, I think I'd rather the guy who hits more triples. Mostly a personal preference thing, but I think triples might be about the most exciting individual play in baseball. For me, anyway.

Triples are definitely more fun, but they are also more fickle. Less sustainable, faster to fade, etc. I would take the HR for his long-term value.

jokin · February 20, 2015

I personally am most excited for Buxton's first inside the park homerun, which would be more exciting than either a 3B or HR.

Heh, heh. I forgot to include in my post turning triples into HRs. Thanks for picking me up.

Craig Arko · February 20, 2015

Triple, followed by stealing home. Just like Sir Rodney.

Steve Lein · February 20, 2015

"Buxton’s hand eye coordination is worth mentioning as well. One advantage of arriving at the park four hours before first pitch is the ability to observe everything. In Elizabethton, young Twins players emerged from the locker room early to play a game. The game began with them standing in a circle with a ball in each hand. Then, a round of pseudo-juggling would ensue with players quickly passing a ball to free a hand to catch an incoming ball. When a ball was dropped, the player was out.

Watching Buxton dominate the game was a thing to behold. In a test of peripheral vision, hand speed and hand eye coordination, the teenage phenom was infallible and far above a handful of teammates considered to be legitimate prospects in their own right."

Haha, we always played this game in warm-ups. "Two-ball" we called it. You'd switch your hat to backwards the first drop, lose the hat the second, then were "out" on the third drop. I sucked at that game, haha, but it was fun and definitely challenged your hand-eye coordination.

Steve Lein · February 20, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Myself, I think I'd rather the guy who hits more triples. Mostly a personal preference thing, but I think triples might be about the most exciting individual play in baseball. For me, anyway.

I wan't him to be (and think he will be) the next "20-20-20-20" guy (2B's, 3B's, HR's, SB's).

There's only been 4 players in the history of major league baseball to accomplish that.

Parker Hageman · February 20, 2015

"Two-ball" we called it. You'd switch your hat to backwards the first drop, lose the hat the second, then were "out" on the third drop.

Yeah, we called it "flip" when we played -- here is a video of the Mariners doing it:

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Both? I think the belief is that he will grow into being a 20+ HR hitter like Hunter did once he matures.

HitInAPinch · February 20, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

Myself, I think I'd rather the guy who hits more triples. Mostly a personal preference thing, but I think triples might be about the most exciting individual play in baseball. For me, anyway.

Sort of a Lyman Bostock vs. Tony Oliva type question. Although Tony never hit 10 triples, but a ton of doubles.

I'm good with either :-)

Willihammer · February 20, 2015

Talking about his hit tool, I'm also starting to wonder if he will lose some HR power potential with the adjustments the Twins are making. When he was drafted, he was using his lower half a lot and now they've removed any semblance of a stride. The desired results appear to be working on his ability to make constant contact and putting the ball in play rather than pulling/driving it far.

Isn't that what a 2-strike approach is for? I guess I don't understand why you would throttle anyone back until they get to two strikes.

And are you going to blog on this development?

Edited February 20, 2015 by Willihammer

Parker Hageman · February 20, 2015

And are you going to blog on this development?

I had done so in 2013 but the switch over to the new system has lost the GIF clips. I was in support of making adjustments to his high school swing -- lots of movement, etc -- in retrospect, I would like to have seen a big more engagement out of the lower half.

http://imageshack.com/a/img809/1010/4gl.gif

It is simple, balanced and repeatable. Going to get a ton of hits, maximize contact, etc. It just seems to lack the lower-half power. I know it would cost him some contact/base hits, but I would like to see something close to Adam Jones' approach.

http://www.baseball-intellect.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/adam-jones.gif

All in all, I want to watch more clips of him. Everything is very limited. Whatever was working for him in Cedar Rapids seemed to be the right path but the Twins felt that he would not succeed with that approach moving up the latter. Would love to talk to their instructors on the reasoning they had for it. Either way, here's more on the subject of his swing progression from Class-A to High-A in 2013: http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/242945961.html

nicksaviking · February 20, 2015

I had done so in 2013 but the switch over to the new system has lost the GIF clips. I was in support of making adjustments to his high school swing -- lots of movement, etc -- in retrospect, I would like to have seen a big more engagement out of the lower half.

Great on the spot analysis. I agree, the lack of lower body movement reminds me of a right handed Denard Span. He obviously lacked any semblance of power. Span's swing probably would cause many to be surprised he actually has a 6', 200+ lb frame, something that should be able to generate more power.

Edited February 20, 2015 by nicksaviking

DocBauer · February 20, 2015

Killer first name the kid has!

Dr. Evil · February 20, 2015

I'm going to enjoy comparing how Buxton does in spring training to how Hicks does. I sort of lean towards Buxton doing better this spring even though Hicks is much older than him. We'll see though. Same story line applies to Sano/Plouffe.

ashbury · February 20, 2015

Killer first name the kid has!

So it's actually Harmon?

troyhobbs · February 20, 2015

There can only be one acceptable reason not to bring him up early this year. That is because there is a "Grand Scheme"! That because of contractual and time of service reasoning the Twins are going to wait until after the ASG to do a major rebuild. I can live with that. But if they try and spend another year pretending that this team has a chance of winning anything, I do think I will start watching hockey!

He didn't make any progress last year, maybe even took a step back so there is no reason to rush him to the big leagues. The Twins likeliness to have another poor season creates even less incentive to bring him up unless he's absolutely dominant and they have a bunch of IFs in the OF again.

diehardtwinsfan · February 20, 2015

I think he should start the year in AA. I'd like to see him get off to a good start. He didn't do that last season.

Seth Stohs · February 21, 2015

We played flip before every game and every practice in college. It got pretty intense. That was so fun!

nater79a · February 21, 2015

Some minor concerns about his hit tool, I get that. He'll be fine.

In the meantime, he has two elite tools that don't go into slumps... speed and a rocket throwing arm.

ashbury · February 21, 2015

We played flip before every game and every practice in college. It got pretty intense. That was so fun!

If that's played with regulation baseballs and not whiffle balls, I would have a jammed/sprained finger within 90 seconds.

curt1965 · February 21, 2015

I admire his devotion to the game at such an early stage of his career, but am a little concerned he might start pressing if things don't start well for him this year. The reason for my worries are 3 fold:

1.) He had so much success early on in his minor league career

2.) The expectations of his impending super-stardom within the Twins' organization and actually all of

baseball have been off the charts

3.) His ruined 2014 season, damaged by injuries and also poor-fair performances, might have created some

doubt in his mind

Maybe my mind is in the same state that most Minnesota fans feel: we always think something or someone will rain on our parade. Here's hoping Buxton, Sano, and the other top prospects will conjure up reminders of the '87 and '91 Twins again!

highlander · February 21, 2015

Semi-random question: Would you rather see the future Buxton for Minnesota hit 20 triples and 10 HR in a season, or 20 HR and 10 triples?

After 5 years off MLB I would like to see him a 20, 40, 20, 50, 100 guy!!!!

3B, 2B, HR, SB, Runs

Dantes929 · February 21, 2015

Great on the spot analysis. I agree, the lack of lower body movement reminds me of a right handed Denard Span. He obviously lacked any semblance of power. Span's swing probably would cause many to be surprised he actually has a 6', 200+ lb frame, something that should be able to generate more power.

Span is a fair example though I have never looked at height and weight as being the necessary components of power. By all accounts Buxton has more talent than Span so even if they take the same approach Buxton should succeed better. The least movement upper half or lower I have ever seen in a player by a large margin was Paul Molitor. He hit for decent power and great average. I would be ok with a Paul Molitor with plus speed. Am hoping Buxton takes bunting seriously as well. I don't know how many avg and OBP points Puckett and Carew got from bunt base hits but am guessing it was significant.

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