2012 MLB Draft: When Will We See Byron Buxton in a Minnesota Twins Uniform?

The Minnesota Twins chose outfielder Byron Buxton (Appling County HS, Ga.), arguably the nation's most talented amateur baseball player, with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

So when will he arrive in the big leagues?

Not this season, I assure you.

The 18-year-old Buxton is a five-tool prospect. So far, though, only his speed and throwing arm are MLB-ready. His swing is still pretty raw and he'll need to add more muscle to become a legitimate power hitter.

Still, his ceiling is incredible.

He has been closely compared to established outfielders Justin Upton and Adam Jones. Both were also drafted out of high school and debuted in the majors a few weeks shy of their 20th and 21st birthdays.

If Buxton begins his professional career in the coming months, Minnesota would likely assign him to the Gulf Coast League Twins (a rookie league). That's where they placed fellow teenage outfielder Ben Revere after selecting him in the first round in the 2007 draft.

Starting in 2008, Revere spent one season apiece at Single-A Beloit, High-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain prior to earning regular playing time with the Twins in 2011.

I see no reason why Buxton will require the same three-plus years in the farm system. Already 6'2" and 190 pounds, he is a superior physical specimen to Revere (5'9", 170).

In speculating his estimated time of arrival, the minor-league journeys of Upton, Jones and Revere must all be taken into consideration. Upton's and Jones' because their skills are so similar to his, and Revere's because he was developed by the same franchise that will groom Buxton into a potential superstar.

The Twins could logically—and this is assuming that Buxton stays healthy—play him at Beloit in 2013, Fort Myers and New Britain in 2014, and give him a final, brief trial at Triple-A Rochester in 2015 before adding him to the 25-man roster early that summer (first week of May, let's say).

But this is just one possibility. Make your projection known in the poll and comments section below.

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