Baseball has had its share of can’t-miss prospects throughout its history. Some of them met the lofty and burdensome expectations, and some of them didn’t. Such is the fickle nature of baseball.
More from MLB Prospects
- Is Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Ivan Melendez the next Pete Alonso?
- Los Angeles Dodgers prospect talk: Catching up with Hunter Feduccia
- MLBPA secures major victory for Minor League Baseball players
- Phillies: Breaking down the prospects fighting for an Opening Day spot
- What the XFL can learn from minor league baseball
What baseball sees less often is a prospect whose potential is so great that people throw all objectivity aside and genuinely root for that prospect to succeed. From the recent past, Mets pitcher Matt Harvey and Angels outfielder Mike Trout come to mind. Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is everyone’s current favorite prodigy.
I find myself rooting for Twins outfield prospect Byron Buxton in the same way. He’s GotC’s No. 3 prospect, and is among the top three of every other major baseball publication.
The 2012 second overall draft pick showed flashes of his brilliance in the abbreviated season after he was drafted, but the supernova of Buxton’s talent was on full display in 2013. He combined to hit .334 with a .424 OBP and .520 slugging percentage and stole 55 bases between Single-A and Advanced-A. He only had 19 doubles that season, but that’s because he turned several doubles into triples with his blazing speed (he finished with 18).
That amount of talent can persuade even the Twins’ staunchest enemies to want to see him succeed in the majors, and he gives Twins fans hope for the future. Unfortunately, 2014 was a wasted year due to injuries, and his development stalled.
Injuries can derail a prospects future, but the regenerative powers of youth are on Buxton’s side. At 21, Buxton has only been able to legally purchase alcohol for a little over four months, so he has plenty of time to recuperate from his injuries.
Don’t rejoice just yet, but Buxton’s recent performance makes it appear he’s regaining his swagger. Over the past 10 games, Buxton is hitting .415/.479/.805 with two doubles, four triples and two home runs, including a walkoff on Monday. This is obviously very encouraging, considering he started the season .180/.241/.300. It’s still a small sample size but watching Buxton almost single-handedly win games gives one a sense Buxton is back.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Buxton is obviously much further along in his recovery process than fellow top prospect Miguel Sano. Sano, GotC’s No. 15 prospect, missed the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery. The power that made Sano a top prospect is still there, as he’s hit five home runs, tied for third in the Southern League. He was a 35 home run/.992 OPS hitter in 2013, so it’s encouraging to see the surgery didn’t sap the clout from his bat. Sano is hitting .169/.301/.403 with 27 strikeouts in 93 plate appearances entering play Wednesday, so he clearly is still getting used to live pitching again, and those numbers should rise as the season progresses.
You don’t have to be a Twins fan to root for these prospects to have swift and full recoveries from their injuries. Buxton’s tools bring images of Andrew McCutchen to the imagination, while Sano is a future high home run, high strikeout hitter—picture a 2012-13 Pedro Alvarez. If they keep showing positive improvements that they have recovered from their injuries, especially Buxton, they should make September appearances for the Twins.