Minnesota Twins: No Reason To Worry, MLB Stars Have Struggled Like Byron Buxton
The Minnesota Twins had high expectations for Byron Buxton. Even though he is struggling badly at the plate, there’s no reason for panic.
The Minnesota Twins have been building a contender in the minor leagues for years. Their grooming of Miguel Sano and Max Kepler seems to be paying off, as both are on their way to big improvements in 2017. While those two are thriving, Byron Buxton is still struggling.
Buxton, who was picked second overall by the Twins in 2012, is batting a mere .085 through fourteen games. He has struck out 23 times and has only four hits. While Twins Territory has been abuzz with panic over Buxton’s slow start, there is no reason to quit on him just yet.
Buxton is not the only top prospect to struggle to start their careers. Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals struggled to live up to his enormous hype when he first broke into the bigs. His plus power wasn’t showing and his average was far from what was expected. He even struggled to stay healthy, which added to his poor performance.
While it took him a little while to get settled in, Gordon was able to breakout in 2011, hitting 23 home runs and driving in 87 runs while batting .303. He even put up a 7.2 wins above replacement, good for seventh best in the American League. After 2011, Gordon was named to three All Star teams and won a championship with the Royals in 2015.
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A more recent example, and a more similar player to Buxton, was the case of Jackie Bradley Jr. In 2013, Bradley tore up spring training for the Boston Red Sox and made the Opening Day roster. In his first two seasons, Bradley wasn’t able to get his average above the Mendoza line and struggled to exhibit the power he had exhibited in the minors.
That all changed in 2016 when he hit .267 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI’s. His 5.3 wins above replacement was third best on the Red Sox, and his overall production led to his first All Star appearance. Bradley, a speedy outfielder with power, seems to be on his way to a productive career after a slow start. Buxton could do the same.
Buxton is only 23 years old. There is no reason to worry that he won’t produce. Last season, in just 92 games, he was able to hit ten home runs and steal ten bases. Those are flashes of his potential production.
His average is only .207, but the sample size is incredibly small. A player can improve immensely after just 152 games played. He is way ahead of where Bradley was at this point in his career. Buxton will adjust to MLB pitching and start making the strides that have been expected of him.
Next: MLB 2017 Projections and Predictions
The Minnesota Twins have some great young talent working their way to stardom. While Sano and Kepler are further along in their development, that does not mean Buxton will not follow suit. He will be the one to watch once his bat comes alive. Twins fans are in for a treat when it does.