Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has been one of the league’s most naturally gifted athletes for years. Unfortunately, MLB fans have been unable to see him on the field for large chunks to 2021 and 2022 due to injuries.

Aside from a brief stint on the IL, Buxton has been relatively healthy this season. However, his numbers have been tough to look at. Let’s take a closer look at the former All-Star’s 2023 season and try to make sense of it all.

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A Look at Buxton’s 2023

Twins outfielder Byron Buxton torched opposing hitters two years ago, when the former second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft hit .308 with 19 home runs and 42 extra base hits over 61 games. Injuries limited him significantly in 2021, and that held true again last season.

Buxton did crank 28 home runs over 92 games, but he missed a good chunk of the second half thanks to a low grade right hip strain. The Twins outfielder’s power numbers, but one metric proved to be a major issue for Buxton in 2022.

Buxton was a strikeout machine in the early goings of his career, but his K% rate went down a good bit between 2019-21. That changed last season, when Buxton struck out 30.4% of the time last season. His Whiff% rate exploded last season, and that, in turn, played a role in Buxton’s .224 average from a year earlier.

Fast forward to 2023, and not a whole lot has changed for Buxton. The 29-year-old struck out 70 times over his first 55 games of the season. The power’s still there, as he did belt ten in that stretch. But, his .204 average is not exactly what fantasy owners had hoped for from Buxton, who’s only missed a handful of days in June due to a left rib contusion.

Buxton’s numbers against breaking balls have taken a deep turn downward. While he does have a lower Whiff% rate against breaking balls this season as compared to 2022, Buxton’s hit just .174 off those pitches. Some of that is circumstantial — he’s unfortunately seen less mistakes over the plate and more away from him. He’s also chased more, not exactly a recipe for success but a sign of a hitter that’s frustrated with how things have gone as of late.

In total, Buxton hit .204 with six stolen bases, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 31 runs scored through his first 55 games (227 PA) of 2023. However, most of that damage was done in the first five weeks of the season. Since the start of May, Buxton’s hit .153, the fifth-lowest average in that span (min. 100 PA). Only Matt Carpenter (Padres), Patrick Wisdom (Cubs), Nick Maton (Tigers), and Willson Contreras (Cardinals) own poorer batting averages in that time frame.

What to Make of Buxton

When Buxton is healthy, very few can match his power/speed combination. He’s been healthy this season by and large, but his strikeout woes and aggressiveness at the plate have not serviced him well.

Hitters will go through funks, but this has been a prolonged slump for the 30-year-old. He’s not the only Twin that’s struggled this season, however, as Carlos Correa has also struggled at the plate. Correa’s problems are a bit different, though, as his primary issues are squaring up fastballs and sinkers.

It’s hard to give up on Buxton, thanks in large part to his tools. On the other hand, his numbers have gone down in virtually every metric, aside from walk rate. Even his numbers against left-handed pitching have slid down considerably, as he’s only hit .136 against pitchers from the opposite side.

However, Buxton did have a solid stretch to begin 2023. Buxton recorded two hits to start the season, then followed a strong Opening Day with a .250 average and seven home runs. This is a concerning stretch, so it’s wise to sit him if you can in fantasy leagues until he gets hot. But, his prior track record can’t be overlooked.