Is health to blame for Byron Buxton's extreme slumps?
What's the reason for Byron Buxton's inconsistency at the plate? No one knows for sure, but after the ominous message Twins manager Rocco Baldelli delivered after Buxton left Monday's game with hip soreness it would appear that Buxton's streaky hitting might have to do with his health.
"This is stuff he deals with all the time. The guy is a warrior. The guy goes out there and plays through things that are unimaginable for many, both other players and people watching," Baldelli said. "What he's done through this point in the year is pretty amazing with the physical difficulties that he's had."
It's been well documented that Buxton's right knee hasn't been healthy since he hit the outfield wall hard while making a catch in April. But his hip injury was kept quiet until Monday night – and it could keep him out for an extended period of time if the MRI results aren't positive.
Whatever the case, Buxton has been the epitome of boom or bust this season.
Boom: April 8 to May 6
Buxton started the season hot with 20 hits in his first 69 at-bats, including nine home runs, 17 RBIs and five doubles, four walks and 24 strikeouts. He was boom or bust, but he was booming just as often as he was busting, and in baseball that's how you become a superstar.
Run the numbers and his first stretch of the season saw him slash .290/.355/.754 with an astounding 1.109 OPS. That was an MVP-caliber start to the season that had manager Rocco Baldelli calling Buxton the best player in the world.
Then came his first big slump.
Bust: May 7 to June 2
An awful month for Buxton included a career-worst 30 consecutive at-bats without a hit. He had just nine hits in 71 at-bats in this stretch. Ironically, he cut down on his strikeouts (16) and increased his walks (8). Regardless, it was a brutal 19 games.
Boom: June 3 to June 28
Buxton flipped the switch when the competition stiffened, starting another latest tear with three hits (including a homer) to open Minnesota's series in Toronto in early June. It was his first homer in 14 games, and he went on to hit a total of nine bombs in a 25-day purple patch.
This stretch saw Buxton rip the cover off the ball as he slashed .292/.370/.778 with a 1.148 OPS. He had nine homers, four doubles, two triples and 15 RBIs, which is nearly identical across the board to his opening stretch April 8 to May 6.
And now he's mired in slump No. 2
Bust: June 29 to present day
His latest slump has spanned 36 games and dates back to well before the All-Star Game, which is when he flashed his power by cranking a high fastball over the wall for the game-winning home run. He then smacked a homer in his first at-bat after the All-Star break, but not before he had a platelet-rich plasma injection for his ailing knee.
All-Star heroics aside, Buxton is slashing .203/.292/.484 with a .776 OPS since June 29. He has 26 hits in his last 128 at-bats while driving in only 15 runs. He's also struck out 50 times compared to 14 walks, giving him a strikeout rate of 34.4% during this slump.
Struggles when Twins need him most
The ugliest of all the stats is arguably Buxton's .145 batting average with runners in scoring position this season. He's come to the plate with runners threatening to score 75 times and has just nine hits to show for it.
And despite his memorable walk-off homers against the White Sox and Orioles, he's hitting .143 in "late and close" situations, which are situations in the seventh inning or later with the Twins either leading by one run, tied or having the tying run on base, at bat or on deck.
If health is to blame, it's a shame because Buxton's booms are MVP caliber. But as gutty as he's been, per Baldelli, the injuries may be taking a major toll on the Twins' most talented player who is in the first season of a seven-year, $100 million contract.
