Byron Buxton is in the midst of what is easily his best offensive game so far this season. Assuming the Rangers don’t tie the game up, he will end up 2-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Most notably, he will reach his highest batting average of the season, at .133. This is undoubtedly thanks to the extra work he has been putting in with Twins coaches, notably James Rowson and Torii Hunter (who is not a coach, but is more than happy to help out).
One thing Buxton has done well all through the season is work longer at bats. The problem was that in too many of those at bats, at least three of the pitches were strikes. The first change was improved pitch recognition. He had a 2 strikeout game on April 16th against the White Sox, and since then, he has participated in 7 games, striking out just 4 times. That’s a K% of 25%, which is significantly better than the 50% he stood at through the beginning of the season.
After more work, he started making some contact. Over the past 4 games, he has compiled a .364 average, and an OBP of .500, which is clearly better than what we saw right up until April 20th. Yes, it’s almost certainly too soon to say the Byron Buxton is fixed, but there is enough there, I think, to ho provide hope that the young prospect is starting to gain confidence. Maybe he will never be the superstar that so many thought he would be, but if his recent improvement carries on, Twins fans can be comfortable that he will be a viable MLB player beyond what he brings to the field and basepaths.
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