Byron Buxton is one of the most talented players in baseball. He’s an elite player with speed, power, and defense. However, when it comes to this year, Buxton has made a case to be the worst DH in the history of the Minnesota Twins.
Let’s look at the facts!
This season, Buxton is hitting just .195 with 17 home runs. His OPS of .702 is one of the lowest of his career. He’s also striking out at a career-high 31.7% rate.
His struggles have been particularly pronounced at the designated hitter position. He’s hitting as good as a man with no arms and it feels like nothing is going to change anytime soon. His numbers are so bad that his current OPS is the lowest by a Twins DH in YEARS.
It’s hard to believe that Buxton is the worst DH in Twins’ history. After all, he’s only 29 years old and has shown flashes of brilliance. But his recent track record is simply too poor to ignore. The Twins need to decide what to do with him. They could bench him longer than a game, they could continue to move him down in the lineup until he’s batting 9th or they could move him back to the outfield. However, if you move him back to the field his health is a concern.
Whatever the Twins decide to do, Buxton’s tenure as a designated hitter has been a major disappointment. He’s one of the most talented players in baseball but he hasn’t been able to translate that talent into production at the plate.
Is there hope for Buxton?
There’s still hope, absolutely. He’s a young player with a lot of talent. He’s also shown flashes of brilliance this season (very few moments but they were there). But he needs to make some changes if he wants to be a productive hitter. He needs to improve his plate discipline and cut down on his strikeouts. He also needs to find a way to be more consistent. Just look at Max Kepler! He was complete garbage for a good chunk of the season and now he’s playing like he’s the GOAT. Buxton, JUST DO THAT! (Which, may I add, he did on Saturday).
If Buxton can make those changes, he could still be the star player we just signed for a billion dollars. However, he needs to do it soon as the season is quickly winding down and the team’s playoff dreams remain too close for comfort.
Hermantown boy living in the desert.