Byron Buxton Is Our Early AL MVP Pick If He Can Stay On The Field

Twins superstar center fielder Byron Buxton might have more talent than any big leaguer not named Shohei Ohtani. He runs like the wind, has a cannon for an arm, can lead-off a game with his high contact approach, and he's got light tower power. The 28-year-old stud just hasn't stayed healthy over the years -- his only flaw, really.

He sent the White Sox home yesterday after this 469-foot three-run homer in the bottom of the tenth inning. Watch:






This was his second home run of the game that gave him six on the season, the first Twins player to accomplish that over his first 10 games, according to Twins reporter Do-Hyoung Park. Here's a compilations of all the damage Buxton did to the White Sox this past weekend:






Buxton is now hitting .351 on the season over his first 37 at-bats and somehow already piling up a WAR of 1.2. To be responsible for more than a full win just a few series into a campaign is a testament to the skillset Buxton brings everyday. Unfortunately, Buxton has missed significant time since his 2015 rookie season -- a fractured left hand, a right hip strain, left shoulder strains, and a multitude of freak injuries like groin, thumb and even a toe strain. He's also managed to miss time due to migraines.

All serious injuries that need time to heal, however part of a player's job to be "valuable" is to be available. Bryon Buxton hasn't accomplished that having missed a significant portion of games in every season other than 2017 where he participated in 140 games.

Byron Buxton is a top-5 talent in all of baseball that we all hope can stay healthy because baseball fans want to see every team at their best. Buxton is the Twins' only real path to a division title in the American League Central even with the signing of Carlos Correa. Someone say a prayer.

 







Written by
Gary Sheffield Jr is the son of should-be MLB Hall of Famer, Gary Sheffield. He covers basketball and baseball for OutKick.com, chats with the Purple and Gold faithful on LakersNation, and shitposts on Twitter. You can follow him at GarySheffieldJr