The Minnesota Twins are planning to use center fielder Byron Buxton as the designated hitter.
Minnesota coach Rocco Baldelli said in an interview with a number of media outlets including ‘MLB.com’ on the 22nd (Korean time), “We know that Buxton is showing great health. However, he will play as a designated hitter at the beginning of the season in order to play a little more in the season.”먹튀검증
Buxton was a top prospect selected by Minnesota with the second overall pick in the first round of the 2012 draft. After that, he first stepped on the big league stage in 2015, and has been playing for only one team so far.
He has a low batting average, but has strong power and defense. He recorded a career batting average of 0.244, 98 homers, 255 RBIs, 315 runs, and an OPS of 0.773. He was also selected for the Gold Glove, Platinum Glove, and All-Star. Last year, he had a batting average of 0.224, 28 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 61 runs, and an OPS of 0.833.
However, Buxton is always plagued by injuries, and the 2017 season is the only season in which more than 100 games have been played. Last year, he started the season healthy and raised expectations, but as another injury came, he only played 92 games.
In response, Minnesota is planning to temporarily set up Buxton as the designated hitter to maximize his sense of hitting. The reason I can make this choice is because of the recent joining of Michael Taylor.
Minnesota acquired Taylor through a trade with the Kansas City Royals in January. Taylor is a Gold Glove former center fielder, and even if Buxton takes over as the designated hitter, there will be no problem with the defense.
However, locals are concerned that this choice will greatly reduce the value of Buxton. He’s obviously a great hitter, but much of his value comes from playing the best center field defense.