In an exclusive interview with Reggie Roberts, Senior Editor at Overtime Heroics, Minnesota Twins prospect Austin Martin discussed the Twins’ elite athleticism, naming Byron Buxton as the quintessential five-tool player.
When asked who the best athlete on the Twins squad is, Martin didn’t hesitate to say Buxton. “It’s Byron Buxton,” he confirmed. “He is a true five-tool player.” Martin focused on the concept of a five-tool player, highlighting Buxton’s ability to hit for power, average, field, throw, and run.
“It’s cool to be out there and see that up close,” Martin said, emphasizing the rare opportunity to see Buxton’s outstanding skill set firsthand. “It’s not something you see every day, so it’s cool to be in that type of environment learning from him and appreciating the way that he plays the game.”
Who Is A Five-Tool Player?
The term ‘five-tool player’ is frequently used in baseball conversations to characterize a player who is more than just a hard hitter or a fast runner, demonstrating a combination of hitting skills and agility. However, this definition is really basic. To scouts and baseball fans, referring to someone as a ‘five-tool player’ is akin to bestowing a distinguished honour on the sport’s most uncommon abilities.
But what does it mean to be a ‘five-tool player’? How many of them are currently in the major leagues? Let’s go exploring.
The Beginning Of The ‘Five-Tool Player’
Scouts employ a unique 20-to-80 grading scale for player skills rather than letter grades such as A+ or C-. Though unorthodox, it is reasonable. 50 is the average, and every ten points above or below is a divergence from the norm – for better or worse.
30 isn’t good.
40 is below average.
50 is average.
60 is good.
70 is extremely good.
80 is amazing.
Some utilize variations such as 45 and 55 or even 35 and 65, but the basic 20-to-80 scale is critical for understanding how baseball insiders evaluate players and the roots of the ‘five-tool player.’
Scouts use this scale to evaluate position players in five key areas:
Batting Average Power Hitting Defense Speed
Throwing Arm Strength
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Each tool receives a rating ranging from 20 to 80. Most evaluators consider a player to be a ‘five-tool player’ if he or she scores at least 60 in each of the five areas. We can identify true five-tool players in MLB by comparing traditional numbers to new Statcast data.
One true example is Byron Buxton.
Byron Buxton is regarded as a game changer, a force on the field. This season, he has remained generally healthy, demonstrating not only five tools but a complete set of skills.
Who else can hit a ball into Target Field’s upper deck and sprint around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in 14.05 seconds?
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