The Minnesota Twins may be off to a dreadful 1-6 start, but one of the future stars of the franchise continues to make headlines in the minor leagues.
The team’s top prospect Byron Buxton turned some heads with his all-world speed earlier this week, when he legged out a standup triple to the left center-field gap.
As you can see, the 21-year-old prospect looks like a blur as he rounds second base.
https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman/status/587980426247020544
There’s been no question about Buxton’s talent, but he was limited to 31 games last season because of a wrist injury and a concussion.
Now healthy, Buxton is playing for the Twins Double-A affiliate in Chattanooga, Tenn. Yahoo Sports notes that Buxton finished 4-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI. In addition to the triple, he also hit a double in the game, helping to lead the Lookouts to an 11-5 victory over Montgomery. Through his first five games, Buxton is hitting .280 at Chattanooga.
But the most notable thing about Buxton is his speed. CBS Sports notes that reports indicate Buxton has been timed at 3.9 seconds from the right-handed batter’s box to first base, a time that is considered to be elite.
“Consider that on a swing a 4.0 time for a right-handed hitter and 3.9 for a left-handed hitter is considered an “8” on the 2-8 scout’s scale, or all-time great. There’s a legend that the Phillies speedy Bake McBride once ran a 2.9 to first on a bunt, but that’s hard to believe. Yankees switch-hitting legend Mickey Mantle, a good bunter in his day, was known to have all-time quick times”
