The Twins put a fresh emphasis on baserunning improvement every spring. Is there any way the 2024 roster’s base paths might get better if Byron Buxton stays healthy?When asked what he could add to the running game earlier this week, Buxton answered honestly with reporters. Buxton thinks he can swipe 30 bags this year. Castro and he have been making jokes about how many steals each other can rack up this year. The previous season, Castro stole 33 bases, more than twice as many as the team’s second-place finisher, Michael A. Taylor, who only stole 13 bases. In 2017, Buxton had a career-high of 29 thefts out of 30 attempted stolen bases. He has never stolen more than 14 bases in a season other than that one, and he hasn’t had double-digit steals since 2019.
Although Buxton has the potential to be one of baseball’s finest base runners when healthy, his current player type has not had many opportunities to steal bases. The Twins pushed Buxton to use his speed to beat out hits and hit the ball on the ground early in his career. He was often on first base as a result of his batting approach, which increased his ability to steal bases. Buxton has become a more potent hitter in recent years, making it more challenging to steal bases in the event that he records an extra-base hit. Moreover, he doesn’t walk frequently—he has a career OBP of.300 and a walk percentage of 10.1% in 2023.
The Twins may need to reevaluate Buxton’s batting order if he becomes more involved in the game. His most common positions in the batting order during the previous season were third and fourth. The majority of Edouard Julien’s starts will probably come from the leadoff position, allowing the Twins to move Buxton to the number two spot ahead of Correa. Buxton might continue to play cleanup because the Twins also want Royce Lewis, another stolen base threat, to have opportunities close to the top of the lineup.
Although there is reason for fans to be optimistic about Buxton’s health again this spring, there will always be a waiting period about his performance. Can he play through most of the season in good health? Is he going to be well enough to pose a danger to steal bases? It’s unlikely that those queries will have an answer before the 2024 election campaign is over.
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