Byron Buxton named top prospect by Baseball America

Minnesota Twins minor leaguer Byron Buxton was tabbed on Tuesday as the top prospect in the Gulf Coast League by Baseball America. That ranking placed him ahead of Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, who was drafted one spot ahead of Buxton in the 2012 MLB Draft.

Buxton appeared in 27 games in the GCL this year, hitting .216/.324/.466 with four homers, four doubles, three triples and four steals. Despite those pedestrian numbers, Buxton's speed, power and star potential have impressed scouts. One area where Buxton needs to improve is his contact ability, as evidenced by his batting average and that he struck out 26 times while only walking 11 times.

That said, there is still plenty of time before much is expected of Buxton. He will likely enter the 2013 season as one of Minnesota's top two prospects along with third baseman Miguel Sano, who mashed 28 homers in Single-A Beloit this season.