Rocco Baldelli on Byron Buxton: 'I think he's absolutely the best player in the world'
When Byron Buxton launched his second home run in Sunday's win over the Chicago White Sox, it was a fitting way to end the afternoon.
Buxton's triple-deck blast off Liam Hendriks not only gave the Twins a weekend sweep over the White Sox but it felt like a signature moment for the 28-year-old.
"We talk about all these adjectives and say he's elite and he changes the game," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters on Sunday. "Right now, there's no better player in the world than him. I think he's absolutely the best player in the world when he's out there running around and doing his thing."
Buxton's talent has never been in question. A top prospect in the Twins organization, Buxton tore through the minor leagues prior to his major league debut in 2015. A slew of injuries followed and after hitting .158 in 28 games during the 2018 season, he was sent home in September.
That may have served as a turning point for Buxton's career. Since the start of the 2019 season, he has been one of the best players in baseball, putting it together at the plate and in the field.
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Among players with at least 500 plate appearances, Buxton's .588 slugging percentage ranks third behind Mike Trout and Fernando Tatis Jr. His .913 OPS also ranks 10th during that span.
Buxton has also raked early this season with a .946 slugging percentage in 10 games. For reference, Babe Ruth's career slugging percentage was .689.
The biggest difference has been Buxton's power. Instead of putting the ball on the ground to utilize his speed, Buxton has placed an emphasis on driving it for more power.
Sunday's walk-off homer in the 10th inning was an example as it was the longest since MLB began using Statcast in 2015. At 469 feet, it bested Mark Reynolds' 464-foot game-winning blast on June 26, 2016.
Overall, his average exit velocity of 96.9 mph this season would lead MLB if he had enough at-bats to qualify.
"We see all of the pull side homers that he hits," Baldelli said of Buxton's power. "And they’re not just homers. They’re absolute rockets.”
Buxton's power at the plate also comes with his elite defense in center field. According to Baseball Savant, Buxton has recorded 25 outs above average. That number ranks fifth among center fielders and 15th among all players since the start of the 2019 season.
The cumulative result is a player that has 10.6 wins above replacement over the past three seasons. That number ranks 26th among all MLB players and is more astounding considering Buxton has only logged 668 at-bats. Of players with fewer at-bats, the next highest WAR belongs to Mitch Garver, who has 6.2 WAR in 633 at-bats.
Staying healthy has been an issue with Buxton but it appears he is on the verge of something special. If he's able to stay on the field, moments like Sunday will be more common and Buxton could be on his way to more attention.
"You’re talking about a guy that’s just demolishing the baseball everyday when he shows up and is absolutely one of the top handful of defenders in the world as well," Baldelli said. "I think there’s going to be a discussion as this year goes on if he stays out there and puts up his numbers – that he’s undoubtedly going to put up – we’re going to be talking about a lot of things related to him as this season goes on.”
