Byron Buxton gets bold comparison from 1 Twins teammate

Jul 27, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) reacts after being caught in a double play against the Chicago White Sox to end the eighth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Chicago White Sox won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

Byron Buxton has always been held back by his injuries, but one of his Minnesota Twins teammates is not shying away from comparing him to a generational player.

In a recent appearance on “The Chris Rose Rotation,” Twins infielder Royce Lewis talked about Buxton and the outfielder’s outrageous talent. In Lewis’ mind, Buxton is equal to Mike Trout in every respect — except for speed, where Buxton is actually superior.

Royce Lewis on Byron Buxton:

“Him and Mike Trout are very similar to me except for Byron has the speed edge” pic.twitter.com/eKysB7DUAf

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 27, 2024

“He’s an MVP player if he’s healthy. Him and Mike Trout are very similar, to me, except Byron has the speed edge, for sure,” Lewis said.

That comparison may look excessive at first, but Buxton has shown flashes of Trout-like ability. He has not consistently hit for as high an average as Trout, but perhaps that would change if he were able to stay on the field for the bulk of a full season.

Therein lies Buxton’s biggest issue. Only once in his career has he played in at least 100 games. He was limited to 85 appearances last year, hitting just .207, albeit with 17 home runs. The Twins tried to keep him healthy by limiting him to DH duties, but that did not really work, and they’re putting him back in the field for 2024. That may be better for the player and the team, but it might be detrimental to keeping him healthy. That would be a shame, because if he can even play in 130 games, he might prove Lewis right.