<
        >
          EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
          Get ESPN+

          Walk away from fantasy baseball players like Byron Buxton

          Despite flashes of power, Byron Buxton's low walk rate makes him a player best kept at a great distance from your fantasy team. AP
          • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterSep 18, 2020, 12:02 PM
            Close
            • ESPN contributor on TV, radio, podcasts, blogs, Magazine
            • Charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame
            • Author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments"
            Follow on X

          Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton homered twice on Thursday afternoon and that naturally brought out some well-wishing comments after I had written on Thursday something about how his drawing one walk every two months was a bad thing. Well, it is! Nobody denies Buxton is incredibly skilled, mainly as an exciting, speedy center fielder but potentially as a dynamic hitter as well. That said, plate discipline does matter and it tends to hold most hitters back from reaching stardom. Buxton boasts an almost impossible and clearly unsustainable line of .270/.272/.622!