Byron Buxton Proves Doubters Wrong with 2024 Performance

[Cody Christie]

A particular segment of a team's fan base will always doubt star players unless they perform at an MVP level. Byron Buxton proved his naysayers wrong on multiple fronts in 2024.

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Byron Buxton has heard it all during his big-league career: “He will never hit for power,” “He gets injured too much,” “The Twins shouldn't have given him that big contract.” The list of doubters and naysayers is lengthy for the former number two overall pick, who has become an All-Star outfielder during his decade-long big-league career. So, what has he proven in 2024, and what does that mean for 2025 and beyond?

Doubt 1: He will never hit for power.
Buxton was seen as the prototype of a traditional leadoff hitter for much of his early career. His blazing speed and game-changing defense made him a natural fit at the top of the lineup. Yet, as time wore on, Buxton’s approach began to shift. Rather than focusing on simply getting on base, he embraced his raw power, developing into a middle-of-the-order force.

Buxton has showcased his power potential in previous seasons, but the 2024 campaign proved that his previous power surge was no fluke. His 138 OPS+ is his second-highest total, with only his 2021 season ranking higher. In that season, he combined for 23 doubles and 19 home runs but was limited to 61 games because of injury. His xSLG, wOBA, and xwOBACON rank in the top 7% among MLB hitters. He also dropped his K% from 31.4% last season (bottom 8% of MLB) to 26.0 in 2024. The leadoff Buxton was exciting, but the slugging Buxton? He’s elite.

Doubt 2: He gets injured too much.
Injuries have permanently shadowed Buxton’s career. For all his electrifying talent, he couldn’t seem to stay on the field long enough to reach his full potential. That’s why it felt like a breakthrough when Buxton played over 100 games for the second time in his career in 2024. Sure, he spent time on the injured list, but this year was different—he returned stronger and continued to play centerfield on a regular basis.

Last season, Buxton was never healthy enough to play in center field, so the team had him serve as the DH. In 2024, he logged over 740 innings in center, a total he hasn’t achieved since 2017. His defense has also been near the top of the scale compared to other defenders. His OAA and Arm Strength rank in the 82nd percentile or higher. He fought through nagging injuries, making it clear that he was determined to prove the narrative wrong.

Doubt 3: The Twins shouldn't have given him that big contract.
When Buxton signed his 7-year, $100 million extension, some felt the contract was a bargain, given his ceiling. Others worried it was an overpay for a player who couldn’t stay healthy. In 2024, Buxton demonstrated his worth to the Twins, and fans have seen this in previous seasons. 

FanGraphs converts WAR to a dollar scale based on what a player would make in free agency. In 2024, the Twins are paying Buxton $15.1 million, but according to FanGraphs, his value has been worth $27.4 million to Minnesota. Prior to this season, Buxton had been worth $24.8 million or more in four of his seven full seasons. Buxton is an elite player who provides tremendous value when he finds a way to stay on the field. 

There will be fans who constantly criticize a player who misses time due to injury. Unfortunately, the days have long passed when a player could regularly play 162 games in a season. In Buxton’s case, he can provide tremendous value even if he is limited to 100 games or fewer. It’s a tricky concept to grasp, especially for fans who grew up watching baseball in a different era.   

In a season filled with doubt, questions, and speculation, Buxton proved that he’s not only the player the Twins hoped for but the one they need. He transformed himself from a speedy leadoff man to a power-hitting slugger, played over 100 games for just the second time in his career, and demonstrated why his contract extension was a wise move by the front office.

2024 may very well go down as the year Buxton silenced some of his doubters, but there will always be naysayers in any fanbase. And for Twins fans, this could be just the beginning of a new era—an era defined by Buxton’s excellence.

What stands out about Buxton's 2024 season? What are your expectations for him next season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

 

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[D.C Twins]

No post game summary... so I'll put this here... from an ESPN article.

"As for his future in Minnesota, Baldelli said Saturday that he is "never stressed" over his job security and that he is "fully motivated and enjoy what I do."

Coming after a historical collapse and after two days of using Margot and Julian as his leadoff hitters....again... 

[Craig Arko]

Looking forward to 2025.

[Patzky]

I'm happy Buck has put together a successful year. Hoping it's a bridge to a more vigorous Future for him and the Twins together. People need to be reminded that he's a relative bargain financially. 

[Patzky]

9 minutes ago, D.C Twins said:

No post game summary... so I'll put this here... from an ESPN article.

"As for his future in Minnesota, Baldelli said Saturday that he is "never stressed" over his job security and that he is "fully motivated and enjoy what I do."

Coming after a historical collapse and after two days of using Margot and Julian as his leadoff hitters....again... 

I noticed that too.. no game wrap-up needed after that fiasco?

[mikelink45]

Does this really matter? He's a good player, not a superstar. And he was gone for a prolonged period of time during which the team started to crumble. So he made a hundred games. I'm glad

[Craig Arko]

12 minutes ago, D.C Twins said:

No post game summary...

Wait for the hangovers to wear off.

[insagt1]

Buck had a decent year. Glad he played CF. Wish though that the period of games he missed this season didn't correspond to the Twins falling flat on their faces. When they needed him and Correa most they were on the shelf and clearly it made a difference.

While its also painfully true that Lewis, Jeffers, Miranda, Castro, Julien et al also fell apart at the seams, Buck and Carlos are our go-to guys and they missed games that mattered. Not blaming them...just pointing out the obvious. Injuries cost the O's the AL East. Once they got their guys back in the last week, the team perked up again. No magic there. However beating Detroit will be a hill they may not be able to climb.

[TheLeviathan]

I'm happy for Buck that he got to have 100 games.  He's such a good dude, he deserves better than constantly being hurt.  I would expect this is probably the high water mark for this contract and, if so, the Twins probably will get their money's worth out of it.

[FargoFanMan]

If anything is ran back from this year I really hope it’s the 2024 Buxton or better. It was a treat to watch him this year. Despite the injuries if he can be penciled in for 100 games in 2025 that’s a huge plus! Along with the stats he put up this year. I’m perfectly fine with the contract if this is the Buxton we get! Hats off Buck!

[thelanges5]

I’ll sign up for a 100 games with Buck every year. It’s planning for the other 62 that concerns me. 

[Craig Arko]

2 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

I’ll sign up for a 100 games with Buck every year. It’s planning for the other 62 that concerns me. 

I’m thinking ERod will be the callup when necessary. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

1 hour ago, D.C Twins said:

No post game summary... so I'll put this here... from an ESPN article.

"As for his future in Minnesota, Baldelli said Saturday that he is "never stressed" over his job security and that he is "fully motivated and enjoy what I do."

Coming after a historical collapse and after two days of using Margot and Julian as his leadoff hitters....again... 

pretty much the whole radio broadcast that I heard, Gladden and Atteberry talked about “hard evaluations will be made a few days after the season ends.” 

They kept emphasizing that. “Tough decisions, honest evaluations.” Don’t know if they have inside information or who’s fooling who. I guess we will find out soon enough. 

[LambchoP]

Sorry, I really like Buck and love watching him, but I don't think he's proved anyone wrong. He still missed almost half the season, didn't hit even 20 home runs, and with his elite speed he doesn't even steal bases. If he can keep playing 100+ games, then he's worth the 15 million per season. But, since he is Mr Glass, the team will Always need a reliable backup center fielder. Not Castro or Martin, a real center fielder.

[Beast]

Well, not really.

As many of the “doubters” of Buxton cite injury issues, his being out for a prolonged period which happened to coincide with the beginning of the death spiral kind of proves them right.

Im a big Buxton fan.  I’m happy with his performance. But, the FO needs to start planning better for his inevitable IL stints.  It’s absolutely inexcusable to ever see Manuel Margot as the starting CFer/lead off hitter, unless you’re in the tanking phase of a rebuild.

[chinmusic]

I'd never thought of this before right now, but maybe as he ages (31 in Dec.), he'll become a corner outfielder. Might sound unthinkable now, but we shall see. Lot of years left on his contract.

[chinmusic]

2 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

Coming after a historical collapse and after two days of using Margot and Julian as his leadoff hitters....again...

On a positive note, Kyle Farmer lowered his ERA to 6.75🙂

[jud6312]

Sorry, but I'm not celebraing someone playing 61.7% of games.

[bean5302]

This article is getting the "1 star" from me. Barely concealed more than an open taunt, Buxton proved nothing this year. Absolutely nothing.

People said he couldn't hit for power! - Yeah, they said that back in 2018... hanging onto that internet debate grudge, much?

He gets injured too much. - What? He played in only 100 games. That's awful. Terrible for a guy on a 7 year contract with a NTC. He's an 80 game a year player because of constant injuries, and he did a little better this year.

Yeah. The Twins are in a financial crunch and Buxton is a big part of it. They should not have given him the contract. Buxton requires 2 roster spots, and he requires another starting caliber MLB outfielder to take that second roster spot. Case in point, when Buxton went down this year, the lack of a CF likely cost the Twins a playoff spot. Buxton's actual cost is way higher than his contract.

I was glad to see Buxton play 100 games, but this article is ridiculous.

[Linehan]

Actually this season proves doubter’s we’re right. Second best season of his 10 year career and he knocks in 50 runs, scores 60 and steals nine bases. He is paid 12.5% of total payroll. 

[Hubie29]

42 minutes ago, jud6312 said:

Sorry, but I'm not celebraing someone playing 61.7% of games.

Exactly. It's not like he hit 50 HR with 120 rbi with a .350 avg through the 100 games. His production was mediocre. 

[ewen21]

This article is about Buxton or those who dare to criticize him?  Are you looking to illicit a response from the critics?  If so then allow it to happen.  At least now you guys aren't issue warnings and taking down posts that question or criticize this guy.

I keep hearing references to his offense but his career numbers are not good at all.  

All facts here…..

1. .304 lifetime OBP

2. .244 lifetime average

3. He’s never scored 70 runs in a season.

4. Has had over 100 hits in a season once

5. He has never scored 70 runs in a season

6. The most RBI he’s ever driven in is 56

 

That is NOT GREAT by any standard so please stop!  Furthermore, he has proved NOTHING this year other than he continues to be a question mark at all times.

He's proved nothing besides the fact that he cannot be relied upon to play.  This is by far his best offensive year and yet we are constantly bombarded with grandiose statements about his "greatness"

Sorry, but the numbers do not lie.  He is not a great player.  He has averaged less than half the games every single year (aside from the COVID season) ever since his "breakout season" in 2017.

 

[Hubie29]

43 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

This article is getting the "1 star" from me. Barely concealed more than an open taunt, Buxton proved nothing this year. Absolutely nothing.

People said he couldn't hit for power! - Yeah, they said that back in 2018... hanging onto that internet debate grudge, much?

He gets injured too much. - What? He played in only 100 games. That's awful. Terrible for a guy on a 7 year contract with a NTC. He's an 80 game a year player because of constant injuries, and he did a little better this year.

Yeah. The Twins are in a financial crunch and Buxton is a big part of it. They should not have given him the contract. Buxton requires 2 roster spots, and he requires another starting caliber MLB outfielder to take that second roster spot. Case in point, when Buxton went down this year, the lack of a CF likely cost the Twins a playoff spot. Buxton's actual cost is way higher than his contract.

I was glad to see Buxton play 100 games, but this article is ridiculous.

Amen! Hallelujah! Bean for President!

[ewen21]

Just now, Hubie29 said:

Exactly. It's not like he hit 50 HR with 120 rbi with a .350 avg through the 100 games. His production was mediocre. 

Plus, he doesn't play with injuries so the games that he has played in are at his absolute optimal best because the Twins treat him like he is Prince Diana.  Are we going to do cartwheels if he gets one more hit and reaches the hundred hit plateau for the SECOND time in his entire career?

 

[bean5302]

This article is so annoying. Can we get a Pablo Lopez proved doubters wrong, too? Maybe @Cody Christie is addressing @Cody Pirkl from 3 months ago when Byron Buxton was basically replacement level, 2 months into the season? LOL.
 

I can't wait for the Pablo Lopez proved doubters wrong article! Just ignore the half of the season where he did his best Louie Varland impression... and leave out a couple of the later starts, too. Maybe the Carlos Correa proved doubters wrong is coming? Or the Royce Lewis, MVP favorite article?

Truth is, I do think Correa will be worth his contract and it's clear what a huge impact he makes when he's on the team. I think Lewis will get his fire back and crush it next year. There are a lot of Twins players I'm really bullish on, but about the only Twins worthy of this kind of article are:

Trevor Larnach
Matt Wallner
Carlos Santana
Cole Sands
Simeon Woods Richardson
David Festa

[bean5302]

1 minute ago, Hubie29 said:

Amen! Hallelujah! Bean for President!

Don't you dare write me in! I'm not going to become a Nationals fan!

[rv78]

It's obvious the writers here are enamored with Buxton. A guy that only plays part-time and has never led the team, or even helped them, to anything significant. Every article written about Buxton is meant to win over the fans and convince them how great Buxton is. 1.So his power has evolved into something special? Really? If he played a full 162 games his total this year would be 28 HR's. That's a half a season's worth for a real power hitter. Has it helped take the Twins to the next level? NO! 2.Yes, he's injured too much. Nothing's changed and at this point of his career, a full season from him will likely never happen. You can't count on him and when the team needs him the most he's never there. 3.$15M may seem like a bargain but you forgot to factor in the cost of having to roster a replacement for him because he can't be relied on to be there. Plus the cost of that replacement player taking up a roster spot that could be used for a purpose more important than another CFer. The days of a player 140-150 games haven't passed and that is what should be expected of your highest paid players, which he is one of. Anything short of that is detrimental to the team. I'm still waiting for the Buxtons and Correas to lead this team to the next level. Unfortunately they don't have what it takes, and the last 4 years of their contracts will be more of the same.

[ewen21]

49 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

This article is getting the "1 star" from me. Barely concealed more than an open taunt, Buxton proved nothing this year. Absolutely nothing.

People said he couldn't hit for power! - Yeah, they said that back in 2018... hanging onto that internet debate grudge, much?

 

And let's not forget he had an absolutely BRUTAL 2018 and then when he was not called up in September he flipped out and left his teammates in Rochester.  He cleaned out his locker and left with a couple of games left to play.  I thought that was unprofessional and the was the moment he lost me.  It was reported he didn't return phone calls.  He'd hit .156 in 2018 and was not even hitting .240 in Rochester until just days before September callups.  The Twins made a baseball decision and he needed to swallow that.

 

What did he end up saying?

"I don't know what more I have to do"

[ewen21]

2 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

He's such a good dude

Based on what?  We do know he walked out on his teammates in Rochester when after a miserable 2018 he was not called up.  We also know he had a couple of Twitter exchanges with Twins fans calling them clowns.

 

He is just a dude to me.  What makes in "such a good dude" to you?

[Aggies7]

Another rage bait article for clicks