Nick Gordon Is Officially The Byron Buxton Insurance Policy

Nick Gordon is more than a gadget player for the Minnesota Twins.  He held it down in the outfield during Byron Buxton’s absence and put on a show while doing it.

The Twins selected Nick Gordon fifth overall in the 2014 MLB Draft and although it took some time, he has finally become an impact player at the Major League level.

Gordon, who was brought up as a middle infielder, was thrown into the fire during his rookie season in 2021 after the Twins squad was decimated with injuries earlier in the year. He was forced to spend a lot of his time in the outfield, particularly in center, while sporting a .240 average with 10 stolen bases in over 200 plate appearances.

This year he made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career and again his role with the team changed just a few games into the season when his fellow MLBbro teammate Byron Buxton suffered a leg injury that kept him out for about a week.

In his absence, Gordon got the chance to take over Buxton’s home in center field once again and made the most of it with a few highlight plays.

Last Thursday Gordon made a perfect throw on a fly ball to center field to gun a runner out at home to keep his teams shutout going.  He has natural talent and all you have to look at is the ease he used when making that throw.

Gordon is a second-generation Big Leaguer as his father Tom “Flash” Gordon pitched 21 seasons with eight different teams.  In 1998-1999 he set what was then a record with 54 converted saves in a row.

His half-brother Dee-Strange Gordon is a two-time All-Star and won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for the Miami Marlins back in 2015 after being a part of a few fun Dodger teams led by Matt Kemp.

Expectations for Gordon were high even before he was drafted. He was named the 2013 Gatorade National Player of the year as a junior in high school where he saw success as a two-way player.

This season people hope those abilities show at the game’s highest level, not only on the defensive side but in the batter’s box as well.

Gordon got off to a slow start, but over his last seven games has a .267 average with a .400 slugging percentage and a triple, one more than he had all of 2021.

With Byron Buxton returning from injury this weekend and already being back in prime form (judging from his 4-4 day at the plate Saturday including two home runs and a double and then his game-winning three-run blast on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox) Gordon may see a little less time in center. But with the versatility Gordon brings on the defensive side, he will be able to give Buxton a few rest days here and there, in order to stay healthy for this marathon of the season.