2012 MLB Draft Prospects: Byron Buxton's Potential Outweighs the Risk

There are certain prospects who have so much potential that concerns virtually go out the window.

Byron Buxton is one of these prospects, and he's positioned to be a top-five pick in the 2012 MLB draft on Monday.

First, the concerns. Buxton has shown good power at the plate and could become an above-average power hitter down the line, but he hasn't flashed that power this season at Appling County High School in Georgia. Part of that is the fact that he's been hitting for more contact and working on shortening up his swing. Nonetheless, it is a bit concerning.

Buxton also hasn't faced much advanced pitching. He didn't do much on the showcase circuit, and he's gone back and forth between baseball and football in high school.

But none of that matters when you look at Buxton's potential. 

Some have compared Buxton to Matt Kemp or Justin and B.J. Upton. Others have gone as far as to compare him to Willie Mays.

I'm not going to start comparing Buxton to Mays, or Kemp, for that matter, but regardless of how you classify him, the important thing to note is that he's a five-tool outfielder. ESPN Scouts Inc. projected Buxton as a potential All-Star down the line (on a scouting scale of 20-80, Buxton was projected to have 80 speed, 70 hitting, 70 fielding range, 70 arm strength and 60 power down the line).

I don't see Buxton ever having Kemp's power, but he does all the other things extremely well. There's nothing wrong with a hitter who hits a lot of doubles and triples, either.

Buxton has the potential to be a perennial All-Star. And really, the concerns appear trivial when you look at the overall picture.

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