Souhan: Buxton Deserves A Look in CF

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

I looked at Fangraphs and tallied up the top 15 position players by WAR from 2013 and 2014. The average debut age is 22.7, median 22.66. So as many are after 22 than before. I have to admit this is an earler debut age than I would have thought (granted pitchers are probably a little later). In the case of Buxton, a debut of this year would be 21 with a throw away year. He certanly will debut before he is 23.

 

 

Player Debut Age

Mike Trout 19.95

Andrew McCutchen 22.66

Josh Donaldson 24.4

Carlos Gomez 21.5

Miguel Cabrera 20.1

Matt Carpenter 25.5

Robinson Cano 22.6

Ben Zobrist 25.1

Adrian Beltre 19.2

Paul Goldschmidt 23.9

Buster Posey 22.5

Jose Bautista 23.5

Alex Gordon 23.2

Evan Longoria 22.5

Hunter Pence 24

 

Average 22.70

Median 22.66

 

Very nice work. Where did you get such exact debut ages? I would like to compare him to other CF'ers. Maybe last and present, as I just think it's more useful. I read something at Baseball Prospectus that showed that SS and CF were the youngest to come up, while catchers were understandably the oldest. Just think we should be comparing him "like" players in evaluating.

[spinowner]

 

I looked at Fangraphs and tallied up the top 15 position players by WAR from 2013 and 2014. The average debut age is 22.7, median 22.66.  So as many are after 22 than before.  I have to admit this is an earler debut age than I would have thought (granted pitchers are probably a little later).  In the case of Buxton,  a debut of this year would be 21 with a throw away year.  He certanly will debut before he is 23. 

 

 

Player                      Debut Age
Mike Trout                  19.95
Andrew McCutchen    22.66
Josh Donaldson           24.4
Carlos Gomez              21.5
Miguel Cabrera             20.1
Matt Carpenter              25.5
Robinson Cano             22.6
Ben Zobrist                    25.1
Adrian Beltre                 19.2
Paul Goldschmidt           23.9
Buster Posey                  22.5
Jose Bautista                  23.5
Alex Gordon                    23.2
Evan Longoria                22.5
Hunter Pence                    24
 
Average                    22.70
Median                      22.66

This is a very interesting bit of information, but please, everybody, keep in mind that these players are the top fifteen out of about 380 major league position players. This is the elite of the elite, not a representative sample, even if you want to consider the best players. It would be more reasonable to consider at least 50 or so at the top of the WAR list.

[spinowner]

 

I don't think Buxton is ready yet, if he gets in a good streak (at least ten games of very good hitting) call him up, but I would rather have them trade for a guy like Will Venable.

I respectfully disagree. Ten games of very good is no more indicative than ten games of very bad. I'd say it would take at least a couple months of consistent raking for me to push for a call-up to the big team.

[DocBauer]

I know who Buxton is.

 

But who's this other guy you are talking about?

[Thegrin]

Buxton has not been in the Lookout lineup for the past 2 games.  Why ?

[whitsbrain]

Don't look now but Buxton hasn't had an at-bat since Wednesday.  I thought he might have an injury that we hadn't heard about, but he did come in as a defensive substitution on Friday night.  On Thursday and Friday's Chattanooga games, Max Kepler got the start in CF and on Friday, he slid over to RF as a late inning change with Buxton in at CF.

 

You don't suppose with Kepler already on the 40-man roster that the front office is looking for a possible call-up/quick fix for the Twins using Kepler in Center?  Especially given Buxton's early struggles and all the time missed last year.