The Buxton File
Team: Minnesota Twins
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Age: 29
Birthday: 12/18/1993
Exit Velo: 92.9 mph
College: N/A
Draft: 2nd overall pick, 2012
WAG: Married to Lindsey Tillery
Children: Blaze Jett Buxton, Brix Scott Buxton
Records/Accomplishments:
- One All-Star selection, 2022
- One Gold Glove Award, 2017
- One Platinum Glove Award, 2017
Byron Buxton: Overpaid or Underrated?
There may not be a baseball player on the face of the planet with a greater set of athletic tools than Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton.
There’s no question the dude can play, he’s posted three 4+ WAR seasons. He has a Gold Glove to his name. He put up a .306 batting average and a 171 wRC+ in 61 games during the 2021 season. His inside the park home run went viral in its record-setting 14.05-second glory.
Yet, he signed a 7-year, $100 million extension with the Twins, who drafted him with the second overall pick. On a per year basis, that’s less than the league’s qualifying offer, which hovers around $18 million dollars.
How?
Unfortunately for Buxton, there’s one skill he’s never mastered: durability. Since making his debut in 2015, Buxton has played more than 100 games just once. He’s played a half-season worth of games (81) just four times. The talent was obvious (even if it took a while to turn into production), but the Twins weren’t confident in their ability to actually see it come to fruition.
Neither was Buxton’s agent.
As a result, Minnesota possesses a gift of a contract. When he’s on the field, few patrol the outfield better than Buxton. Almost no one is faster. He can headline a lineup, too.
Don’t be surprised if their success remains inseparable with Buxton’s health.