Number One Prospect Byron Buxton Gets Called Up By Minnesota Twins


Byron Buxton, the number one prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com, has been called up by the Minnesota Twins. The 21-year-old outfielder is set to make his big league debut on Sunday against Nick Martinez and the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

Buxton has been playing well at AA Chattanooga batting.283, with six home runs and 37 runs batted in. Byron is also a threat on the basepaths with 20 stolen bases on 22 attempts.

The big thing for Buxton is that he has been healthy so far this season. In 2013 Buxton, dealing with various injuries, missed all but 31 games. Twincities.com is reporting that Byron had no clue that his time was about to come.

“I had none at all, definitely unexpected. Really caught me by surprise. I was shocked. When I heard my name, a lot of joy and happiness went through me. Just blessed and thankful that I got the opportunity to get called up to The Show.”

The Twins are looking for a boost after losing their last four ballgames. The team surprised many by rising to the top of the American League Central standings, but now has fallen a couple of games behind the Kansas City Royals. Fox Sports talked with Buxton’s manager at Chattanooga, former major league first baseman Doug Mienthkiewicz, and he gave Byron a glowing report.

“He does everything you want. He’s got power. He’s got speed. He plays defense every night. He can win a game in a lot of ways. He can win it with his legs. He can win it with his glove. He can win it with his bat. So far, so good. He’s been our catalyst here, and we expect that for years to come at Target Field.”

Buxton is about to have his dream come true, but Byron told Twincities.com that he isn’t a ball of nerves, at least not yet.

“I’m not nervous now. I’m ready to get up there, I’m ready to get going. I’m sure once I get up there, nerves will start to kick in a little bit. I’ll just be anxious to be in a big-league ballpark and make my debut.”

The next question for Twins fans is when Buxton’s former Chattanooga teammate Miguel Sano will join him in Minnesota. Sano and Buxton are the cornerstones of the Twins’ bright future. The timetable may just have been pushed up for the pair because of Minnesota’s hot start.

Do you believe Byron Buxton is the shot in the arm the Minnesota Twins need to make a strong playoff run?

[Image Source: Christian Petersen / Getty Images]

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