Byron Buxton

[Primetime82]

Is he ever going to learn to hit???  I know he still has plenty of time, but my lord he has been just terrible. It seems every time I look at the boxscore he has 2 or 3 K's.

[jimmer]

An almost 40% K rate. OBP under .250.

[DJSim22]

Not good, but haven't we learned our lesson on giving up too quickly on CF's? 

 

 

[Pius Jefferson]

At this point the best case scenario might include realizing we're never going to see top rated prospect Byron Buxton.

[Rosterman]

He will come around. But he seems lost. They need to get someone working with him, one-on-one. Carew-ish, perhaps. Don't change him, but make him see what is coming, learn to use his speed...do something. Let Chad Allen work with him more at Rochester. Call up Ricky Henderson and hire him for a month!

[Homer Hanky]

It is almost always coaching... look at the Vikings... Zimmer and his staff COACH... I'm afraid Molitor and crew... Manage... it's sad... 

 

#SKOLTWINS

[Dr. Evil]

He needs to shorten up his swing and quit swinging from his heels.

[Willihammer]

 

He needs to shorten up his swing and quit swinging from his heels.

Seriously. You don't have to be Parker Hageman to see this. Any high school coach would have him shortened up by now.

[ashbury]

He needs to shorten up his swing and quit swinging from his heels.

I'd settle for just losing the extreme uppercut.

[gocgo]

 

He needs to shorten up his swing and quit swinging from his heels.

Spot on.  I'm down in FL and the Rays announcers commented on is first AB how long his swing is.  Big league pitchers have multiple options on getting out guys with long swings.

[h2oface]

It is really a shame Buxton is so inept at the plate. He is sorely missed in the outfield when he isn't there. Just ugly at the plate.

[Mike Sixel]

Something has to change. It makes me sad to see this compared to so many other success stories of top prospects right now.

[jimbo92107]

He will come around. But he seems lost. They need to get someone working with him, one-on-one. Carew-ish, perhaps. Don't change him, but make him see what is coming, learn to use his speed...do something. Let Chad Allen work with him more at Rochester. Call up Ricky Henderson and hire him for a month!

Chili Davis. He could get Buxton hitting like an all-star.

[Badsmerf]

I really don't remember another young player looking this bad. Even hicks, who can't hit out of a paper bag in New York now, didn't look this incompetent. How can he hit minor league pitching do well and flounder this badly in the mlb?

 

Obviously there is still time, i don't think anyone is giving up on him. They just have too do something different. Whatever they've been doing, it's not working. Get Hunter to Minnesota to spend some time with him, or carew, or even Nick punto. Just have him bunt every time up, at least he'll make them make a play!

[Woody Wants Wins]

Giving up too soon on CF's?  Like Hicks, he is at 190 avg and 541 OPS.

 

Or Gomez, 215 avg and 608 OPS.

 

Grossman is better than both of those guys.  Twins need to know when to fold them.  Buxton needs to figure it out by next July 1 or he needs to be sold for a box of baseballs.

[Willihammer]

 

It is really a shame Buxton is so inept at the plate. He is sorely missed in the outfield when he isn't there.

Yeah, I love Rosario but he's no Buxton in Center. And Grossman's no Rosario in left. And Santana, well, there'd be a lot more Santana if the Twins can't get Buxton going I'm afraid.

[h2oface]

Buxton is so valuable in the field, especially with this pitching staff. He catches balls that the rest of them can't even hope to get to, and turn into doubles or worse. It is all in his head, I think. Needs a shrink.

[Obsvr]

His swing is long, yes but his real problem is pitch recognition.  Too many swings at balls out of the zone.  Not sure anything but time is going to fix that.  They seem pretty content with letting him take his lumps in the majors and figure it out on the job.

 

 

[Badsmerf]

Maybe he needs Joboo?

[DJSim22]

 

Maybe he needs Joboo?

 

And a live chicken.  Even then he'll only be able to hit fastballs.

[NoCal]

The most recent number 1 prospect in baseball got called up by Houston a couple of weeks ago. Think the name is Alex Bregman? Last I looked he was hitting .053, and began his career 1 for 32. Coaching helps, but every guy is different; tough sport. Counseling may be more appropriate.

[diehardtwinsfan]

He needs AAA.  Somewhere along the lines we need to recognize that time in the minors actually helps develop that talent. Quite frankly, he hasn't spent enough time down there. He gets away from his good habits in AAA too quickly

[JustinCB]

Jobu

[Ncgo4]

Buxton is an enigma. A brilliant outfielder everywhere in the minors and terrific at the plate everywhere following a brief terrible start at almost every level. In the bigs, his fielding has remained crazy good, but his hitting has disappeared.

 

It seems that there is no point to sending him back down. He's shown he can hit in Tripple-A. Is he a head case? Have the coaches screwed him up, or have they done nothing for him? I have no idea at all, other than knowing he has the skill needed to hit at this level, he just hasn't done it and someone needs to fix something. The way our brain trust has screwed Sano up, it's easy to figure they might have contributed to Buxto's issues, too, but that's way too easy an answer without knowing anything.

[SarasotaBill]

I wrote the other day that the Twins need to tell Buxton that he's going down for August to play every day and once Rochester is done that he'll come back and play every day. He's obviously pressing and needs some time to work on his swing and confidence. At the same time he can work on his bunting. However, the biggest thing is for him to relax and gain confidence.

 

There are plenty of examples of All Stars who don't have immediate success in the majors.

 

The Twins and the fans need to have some patience. 

[twinssouth]

Giving up too soon on CF's?  Like Hicks, he is at 190 avg and 541 OPS.

 

Or Gomez, 215 avg and 608 OPS.

 

Grossman is better than both of those guys.  Twins need to know when to fold them.  Buxton needs to figure it out by next July 1 or he needs to be sold for a box of baseballs.

 

 

 

If this Zach Granite kid in Chattanooga keeps producing, he may be pushing Buxton next July.

[terrydactyls]

What I find amusing/frustrating/sad is that the Twins have on staff right now a guy that arguably had the sweetest short swing in MLB history. And he's the manager, who has an opportunity every day to work with Buxton. And they have a bunting expert in Rod Carew who needs to also be working with Buxton. If Buxton could bunt with any consistency, he would be hitting over.300 with bunts alone. I have never seen speed comparable to his (and I saw Willie Mays in spring training in 1954 so I have seen some baseball).

[Old Twins Cap]

Has to be a confidence thing.  He can hit AAA pitching, and hard.  He's got the tools, but you can see it when he gets in the batting box:  he knows something bad is about to happen.

 

At some point, he has to simplify and put the bat on the ball.  Look to line it up the middle, have a plan.

 

My God, if he can't make it at the plate, that really puts a hole in the Twins' plans.

[HitInAPinch]

 

I'd settle for just losing the extreme uppercut.

Never gets old!   Maybe working with Sano will help  

[ashbury]

What I find amusing/frustrating/sad is that the Twins have on staff right now a guy that arguably had the sweetest short swing in MLB history. And he's the manager, who has an opportunity every day to work with Buxton.

A manager with a reputation for directly tinkering with a batter would not be the way to attract and keep the batting coach you want.

 

However, a sequence of conversations with the batting coach, say while the team is in the field, could have the desired effect.

 

Day 1:

Molitor: What do you think will get Buxton going?

Bruno: He just needs a little more time to get comfortable. He'll come around.

Molitor: <pause> That Kepler sure is on fire...

 

Day 2:

Molitor: I wonder what Buxton needs at the plate.

Bruno: I just tell the guys to let it rip, and not worry about the strikeouts. He'll be fine.

Molitor: <pause> Mauer is looking like his old self, isn't he...

 

...

 

Day N+1:

Molitor: Buxton's having a rough time up there today.

Bruno: I read on TD that his swing's a little long. It's not crazy. I was kinda noticing that myself lately.

Molitor: Good thought. Why don't you talk to him about it, see if he's open to a little change.

 

Fin.