Minnesota Twins Roster Rumors: Byron Buxton Hopes to Redeem Himself this Season
When the Minnesota Twins selected Byron Buxton as the second overall pick in the 2012 Draft, the consensus thought that he will become a star in this league in no time, and the proof of that is the fact that he impressed in the minor leagues. But after his major league debut for the Twins this season, things have gone sour for him.
Buxton played 46 games for Minnesota, and in the process hitting a measly .209 together with an on-base percentage of .250. In a total of 138 appearances so far, he was struck out 44 times and was only able to manage six walks. Those numbers aren't designed for second overall picks, right?
He's man enough to admit he's struggling, though. "You don't see pitching like that down in the minor league," he said. You've just got to get up here and get adjusted to it and just be you," he added, referring to the fact that the level of competition in the major league is something he hasn't adjusted to as of yet.
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But even if he is struggling, the team is expected to put him as the starting center fielder on Opening Day. It's a big responsibility for a kid like him, but there is no better way to redeem oneself in the upcoming season than being able to start.
But Minnesota actually has very good reason not to give up on him. Buxton is one of the fastest in the league right now, and given the young age, he'll have enough time to make use of that to his advantage. However, he does have a lot of learning to do while the season hasn't started yet. One of them is training himself for bunting. His speed makes him stand out and excel when it comes to getting on base, but there are just way too many other aspects of baseball he needs to learn. Thankfully, he has the luxury of performing bunting training with hall of fame infielder in the name of Rod Carew, who also played for the Twins several years back.
