You can’t hold back the future. And all it takes is one good look around MLB to understand that baseball’s future has not only arrived, it has truly been unleashed.
We’ve already met the likes of Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Carlos Correa and Joey Gallo. Now it’s time to meet Byron Buxton, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, who was promoted by the Minnesota Twins on Saturday and will make his major-league debut against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon.
Buxton, 21, was the second overall selection in the 2012 draft. His promotion comes one week after that of Correa, who was taken No. 1 in that draft by the Houston Astros.
Their minor league numbers are fairly similar. In 263 games, Buxton hit .296/.380/.486 with 27 home runs, 150 RBIs and 92 stolen bases. In 282 games, Correa hit .313/.392/.491 with 28 homers, 199 RBIs and 54 stolen bases. Unlike Correa, however, Buxton never played above the Double-A level.
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Obviously, those two players will be compared for a long time. But the focus now is on Buxton and the level of excitement he’s likely to bring to Minnesota’s lineup.
Known mostly for his elite speed, Buxton possesses every physical tool that’s necessary to put together a special major league career. That’s why MLB.com had him ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball even before Correa’s call up last Sunday. And that’s why prior to the season, Buxton and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant were 1-2 on just about everyone’s prospect lists.
Buxton is a next level talent, and that talent illicits responses and emotions that few others can.
“It is like a cartoon watching him run,” said Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony, who recently spent a week in Chattanooga scouting the club. “You think there’s going to be music or something. People get on their feet. They’re excited. If he hits it in the gap, they’re waiting to see if it’s going to be a triple or what.”
Does that not sound fun?
Now we get to see how that talent in its current form measures up in MLB.
Some believe he could use a little more seasoning in the minors following a 2014 season that was derailed by injuries. Others look at his .283 average and .866 OPS through 237 at-bats for Double-A Chattanooga as a sign there’s nothing left to prove. Buxton also led the Southern League with 12 triples and finished up with 12 multihit games in his last 25 starts.
One thing we do know, the Twins could use an upgrade over Aaron Hicks in center field. There’s really no better or obvious choice available than baseball’s top prospect. And it definitely adds some sizzle to the summer pennant race, which the Twins figure to be a big part of following their surprising 33-27 start.
Indeed, the future has been unleashed.
Let the fun begin in Minnesota.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
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- Byron Buxton
- Minnesota Twins
- Carlos Correa
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