Our Center Fielder is Better than Yours: Byron Buxton WINS Wilson Defensive POY

Byron Buxton wins the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award https://t.co/FoljPfI8Nw pic.twitter.com/V4fcYyxU6X

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 11, 2017

Byron Buxton walked away from Friday’s Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards with the night’s highest honor. The Twins CF was named the Defensive Player of the Year Overall.

The NBC Sports piece helps us decipher the three major differences between Wilson’s awards and Gold Gloves:

1. Wilson Awards don’t separate AL/NL. Only one major leaguer, at each position, is chosen. Naturally, Buxton won it at Center.
2. Wilson Awards name a Defensive Player of the Year Overall (AKA Byron).
3. Friday’s awards involve more use of advanced metrics than those of the Golden variety.

Byron Buxton of the @Twins wins the outright Wilson Defensive Player of the Year. Inside Edge rated him as the best defensive player this season.

He made 96% of plays in his zone, the highest of any player in the #MLB

— Inside Edge (@InsideEdgeScout) November 11, 2017

Twins Nation should appreciate the use of these metrics, or at least get used to them. It’s Falvey and Levine’s style. Speed is our 23 year-old outfielders biggest asset. Said asset is weighed HEAVILY into these advanced metrics. Byron Buxton makes tough catches look routine. He makes impossible catches show up on SportsCenter. The young man covers more grass than my Zero-Turn John Deere. Why? GREAT reaction off the bat, DIRECT paths to drop points, and BLAZING speed.

The future is bright for the Minnesota Twins. But, two prospects have stood out among the rest, since being brought into the organization. When discussing the most promising talent org-wide, only two names are mentioned: Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Last night marked four months since the 2017 Home Run Derby. 120 days, 180 degrees. While Aaron Judge stole the Derby show, it was Miguel Sano who represented Minnesota. July saw Sano praised throughout baseball circuits, while many thought Buxton would never figure it out at the dish. One-third of a year later, the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year, is the most promising person in the Twins organization (@ me about it). He appears to have more than figured out the hitting thing, his only downfall early (see below). Sano, on the other hand, well… there seems to be more questions surrounding his health than there is Pete Rose’s morals.

Johnny Minnesota @mnsportsnstuff
Minnesota Sports FanMinnesotaSportsFan.com

Photo: USATSI