Not long ago, Byron Buxton was trying to make a name for himself as a fleet-footed 17-year-old with a projectable frame. With considerable buzz surrounding his name heading into the 2012 MLB draft, many believed he could be a five-tool player that would be a difference-maker in the big leagues.
However, what couldn’t be projected was the journey that Buxton would go through before putting it all together.
Through multiple injuries, a few demotions to the minor leagues, and a global pandemic, the center fielder from Baxley, Ga., has finally emerged as one of the most thrilling players in the game.
That excitement is exactly what baseball wants to see.
More importantly, it’s exactly what baseball needs.
Much to the chagrin of baseball’s traditionalists, the league has been making adjustments to a variety of rules to try to get more action in the game, or at the very least, pick up the pace of play. As the game becomes so concentrated on a “three true outcome” offense (hitters walking, striking out, or hitting a home run, with little between), fans have been craving more variety. Of course, chicks still dig the long ball, but the audience has been clamoring for new thrills on top of that.
Enter Buxton.
As the endless tug-of-war between old-school baseball traditionalists and new-age progressive fans rages on, Minnesota’s center fielder has pleased both sides.
Not only has he shown that he can amaze the masses by crushing home runs, but he can also thrill spectators with blazing speed and highlight-reel defensive web gems.
His production has been undeniable. He has a .675 slugging percentage since the start of last season (best in MLB according to Inside Edge), he’s in the 99th percentile for both sprint speed and hard-hit percentage, and he arguably just had the best month by a Twins hitter ever.
Nine years after he was drafted second overall, Buxton is putting it all together. So what’s clicked for him lately that’s translated into such incredible production?
Much of it has to be attributed to the hard work he has put into crafting an effective approach over the past few years. It didn’t come easy, but Buxton found a game plan focused on attacking breaking pitches early on in at-bats that have been paying dividends, especially this season.
Through his first 21 games this season, Buxton is batting .750 on the first pitch of at-bats (best in MLB), and he leads the league with four first-pitch home runs. He takes control of his output by ambushing the pitcher early.
But it hasn’t always been that way. In his first four seasons in the big leagues, it was routine for fans to see him take a first-pitch strike, almost to calibrate himself. Then he’d chase a good breaking ball outside and find himself behind in the count. From there, the odds were against him.
He used to have a very raw swing that countless coaches and development staff tinkered with, often ad nauseam. Eventually, it got to the point where there were too many cooks in the kitchen, so Buxton canceled out the extra noise in favor of finding comfort. His new approach allows him to try and isolate a breaking pitch early and then fall back on his quick hands and fluid, simplified swing to take care of fastballs if needed. He did what all great hitters have done throughout their career: He made an adjustment.
Now he’s beating the odds and opposing pitchers along the way.
Look at his Baseball Savant heat map from 2018 (left) compared to this season.
He’s clearly hitting the ball much harder with his current approach than when he was still adapting to MLB-caliber pitching. Not only that, but he’s even getting better contact on pitches outside the strike zone.
But his bat isn’t the only asset that Buxton brings to the field. His premier speed has provided elite range in the outfield, brilliant base running, and even an all-time record. On Monday night against the Texas Rangers, Buxton stole second base, giving him the best stolen base percentage (88%) in MLB history (minimum 50 attempts).
Just as Twins fans have been promised for the past nine years, he’s finding new and exciting ways to help his team win.
While Buxton’s stat line for this season makes him appear Herculean, it’s actually his human elements that make him so compelling. The ups and downs of his career offer more than a box score or a heat map ever will.
Twins fans have watched his every move since he was a teenager, taking note of each hurdle along the way. They’ve witnessed every change in his leg kick, every outfield wall collision, and every empty swing throughout his career.
But if baseball is fueled by one thing, it’s infallible hope.
Twins fans have waited for one of their premier prospects to figure it out against big-league pitching.
Baseball traditionalists craved a star player that could win games with speed and grit.
New-age students of analytics begged to be wowed by a player who can set new heights on their graphs and projection systems.
Baseball hoped for someone like Byron Buxton, and now he’s giving them exactly what the game needed.
