Byron Buxton Says He Will Set New Career High in Stolen Bases This Season

Byron Buxton is probably still the fastest player on the Minnesota Twins, even at age 30 and with multiple knee surgeries under his belt. Yet, he’s never been one of the top base stealers in Major League Baseball, due to the injury issues he’s dealt with since his arrival on the big league scene back in 2015.

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Buxton is feeling better than he has in a long time, after his latest arthroscopic knee procedure this offseason and he continues to beam with optimism. Buck already told us ‘he’s back‘ in center field this season and the Twins are tentatively planning for him to be their everyday center fielder.

Byron Buxton says he’s stealing 30 bases this season

But on Monday, Byron took his optimism to yet another level, telling media gathered around his locker in Fort Myers that he plans on stealing at least 30 bases this summer.

Byron Buxton says gleefully that he’s already talking with Willi Castro about how many bases they can each steal this season.

He says he’s got 30 steals in him.

“That means I’m on a lot and running a lot. I feel good. I feel real good.” pic.twitter.com/7NElo5OvTZ

— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) February 19, 2024

Reporter: ‘How many steals do you have in you this season?’

Buxton: “Got about 30. Me and [Willi Castro] get about 30 a piece and we’re good. That means I’m on [base] a lot, running a lot.”

In theory, Byron Buxton would easily steal 30 bases every season, especially given the fact he owns a career 90% success rate. MLB average is 74%, since he entered the league in 2015. When Buck is feeling right, he completely changes the feel of the game ever time he gets on base.

byron buxton has ludicrous speed.

90.8% sb% since 2017.

this angle shows how difficult he is to throw out.

this sb vs toronto came in very favorable circumstances for the battery:

high fastball.
quick catch & release.
meh velo but on target.

buxton still beat it by a lot. pic.twitter.com/iJbG4NuC4Y

— parker hageman (@HagemanParker) October 2, 2021

But that’s not how Buxton’s career has played out, for the most part. Byron has never reached 30 stolen bases in a season. His career high was 29 back in 2017. In fact, the Baxley GA native and one time #1 overall prospect has only swiped double digit bases three of his nine big league seasons.

Trying to temper excitement

I’m trying not to get my hopes up with Buck. His body has let him down too many times for me to be confident that he can play the majority of an MLB season with good health. At the same time, nobody knows his body better than he does and it’s impossible not to sense how excited he is about how he feels in the first couple days of Spring Training.

If he makes it all the way to Opening Day feeling anywhere near as good as he does right now, I will be consuming so much Byron Buxton hype that there is a 100% chance of overdose.