Byron Buxton

Byron Keiron Buxton (born December 18, 1993) is an American professional baseball center fielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the second highest-rated prospect in baseball according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus in 2015. Buxton attended Appling County High School in Baxley, Georgia. He was considered by some baseball analysts to be the most talented player available in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, and was selected as the second overall pick. He won Baseball Americas Minor League Player of the Year Award in 2013. Buxton made his MLB debut in 2015 and he won the Gold Glove Award in 2017. Amateur career Buxton started playing baseball when he was six years old. He attended Appling County High School in Baxley, Georgia, where he played for the school's baseball, basketball and football teams. In his high school days, Buxton was given the nickname "Buck". As a pitcher during his senior year, he had a 10–1 win–loss record with a 1.90 earned run average and 154 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched. Buxton also threw a fastball that was recorded at . His speed eventually led him to obtaining a well-above average speed rating of 70 as he left high school and readied for the draft. Scouts noticed Buxton when he was 15 years old. He was recruited to play on a traveling summer team. He appeared in baseball showcases, including the East Coast Pro Showcase and Under Armour All-America Baseball Game. As a senior in high school, Buxton hit for a .513 batting average with 38 stolen bases in 39 games. Buxton committed to a college baseball scholarship with the University of Georgia, intending to attempt to walk on to the football team.