Nobody is rounding the bases these days quite like Chattanooga Lookouts outfielder Byron Buxton.
The top prospect in minor league baseball already has 11 triples this season, nearly doubling the next highest total in the Southern League. He would have had another on May 27 but was waved home by Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz for the first inside-the-park home run of his professional career.
“I knew I had to put it in another gear,” a smiling Buxton said. “When you’re approaching third, you’re not expecting to be sent. I just kept going, and he didn’t tell me to stop, so I put it another gear to get there.”
If Buxton remains in high gear, he will rewrite a slew of records later this summer.
With the Southern League season still a couple of weeks from its midway mark, Buxton is on pace to surpass the 19 triples Alan Trammell had for Montgomery in 1977. Alfredo Silverio set the Chattanooga standard for triples with 18 in 2011. Scott Schebler led the Lookouts in that category last year with 14.
“Everybody knows that he obviously has speed, and one thing about a majority of guys who hit triples is that they’re not power guys,” Lookouts hitting coach Chad Allen said. “That’s an advantage Buxton has over a lot of people, because he not only can hit doubles and triples, but he can hit home runs. I’m not saying he’s going to be a 30-home-run guy, but when you’re able to add in the aspect that he can drive the ball, too, he’s probably going to hit a few more triples than most people.
“He just glides around the bases, and it’s absolutely phenomenal how many triples he has so far. A good year for him when he makes it to the big leagues will probably be 10 to 15 triples and 30 to 40 doubles, which for a lot of guys is phenomenal, but that’s the kind of potential he has.”
Allen and Mientkiewicz were with the Minnesota Twins in 2000 when Cristian Guzman tallied 20 triples, but most players don’t come close to what Buxton is accomplishing. Mientkiewicz compiled 11 triples throughout his productive 12-year big-league career, while Allen had eight in his seven years in the majors.
Of course, inside-the-park homers make triples seem commonplace.
“When a ball gets hit in the gap, the first thought for everybody else is that it’s a double,” Allen said. “When he hits it, it’s a legitimate chance for a triple. When that one hit off the wall, you’re thinking, ‘This may actually be a legitimate chance for an inside-the-parker,’ because most people would be sliding into third and he’s three-quarters of the way to home plate.
“He’s a great kid who I love to death, and he’s got a great future ahead of him.”
A future that Buxton is keeping in perspective, even as he’s stretching for third base.
“It is a little exciting,” Buxton said. “I just want to keep doing what I’ve been doing and get on base for my teammates to drive me in.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.