The Butler Did It
Lawrence Butler (OAK): 3-4, 3 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB.
The Butler truly did do it last night. Butler’s hat trick consisted of three absolute bombs clocking in at 106.4, 104.7, and 109.5 mph.
The A’s aren’t exactly a team that springs to mind when we talk about elite player development but whatever they did in the month Lawrence Butler spent in Triple-A at the start of the summer has worked wonders for him. Since being called back up on June 18th, Butler has 17 home runs, nine stolen bases and a .294/.330/.623 triple slash. Not to mention he’s been making better decisions at the plate that are backed by a 5.9% walk rate and 20.8% strikeout rate over that span.
Can you spot the call-up below?
This power surge is no fluke either. 2024 may mark the first time in his career that Butler has crossed the 20-home run threshold but that’s simply the result of a 23-year-old coming into his own. The tools have always been there with FanGraphs giving him a future 70-grade raw power tool which has been backed up in the majors by a 74.5 mph bat speed (84th percentile).
While raw power doesn’t always translate to game power and contact ability, the improved decision value above has been coupled with above-average/elite Avg EV (91.6 mph- 86th), Barrel rate (11.6%- 79th percentile), and HardHit rate (48.3%- 88th). Not to mention a .328 ISO and .297 BABIP since the call-up in June.
A dislocated elbow in 2022, a lean build coming out of the draft and a high strikeout rate early in his minor-league career may have cost him top prospect status but Butler is healthy, has bulked up and dramatically lowered his K rate now. Butler’s draft stock for 2025 is on an absolute rocket right now and with any past concerns laid to bed, The Butler is ready to serve.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:
Brendan Rodgers (COL): 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI.
Brendan Rodgers continued his hot streak with a pair of no-doubters last night. His 11th and 12th home runs of the season both clocked in at 104.7 mph and would’ve been considered a home run in all 30 parks. While the 28-year-old lacks a truly elite standout tool, Rodgers’ ability to hit for above-average power and contact while locked into an everyday role at the top of a lineup that plays half its games in Coors Field makes him an underrated middle infielder in fantasy circles.
Consistency is key in fantasy baseball and what Rodgers lacks in Aaron Judge/Shohei Ohtani-esque dominance he makes up for in consistent production.
Connor Norby (MIA): 2-4, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB.
I maintain that Connor Norby was the best hitter outside the MLB’s Top 100 prospects coming into 2024. So last night made me look pretty good!
After joining the Marlins organization at the trade deadline, Norby was sent down to Triple-A to help with his transition to 3B where he’s started all but one of his games for the Marlins. It appears the future for Norby will be at the hot corner now, but more importantly, he’s leading off. With his speed and the added playing time that has followed him no longer being buried at the bottom of an admittedly stacked Orioles’ lineup, Norby has two homers, two steals, and a .333/.385/.667/1.051 slash line in Miami.
Given that he should pick up 3B eligibility at some point over the next week, Norby is a must-add for anybody in need of a multi-category threat.
Tyler Stephenson (CIN): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Stephenson is in the middle of what may be the best season of his career so far. His batting average is one of the few stats that isn’t quite at a career-high but he’s certainly been working on ensuring it’s career highs across the board. Throughout August, he’s put up a .329/.402/.634/1.036 slash line, capped off by his ninth multi-hit game of the month last night. There are still two days left in the month too and with the way he’s been hitting, that line could go even higher.
And anything that Stephenson lacks in hit tool, he’s certainly making up for in power. He’s already set career highs in home runs and runs and has been locking down RBI, ISO, Barrel%, Avg EV, HardHit%, and HR/FB. That’s a pretty solid list of stats to be moving in the right direction for a power hitter.
Bryson Stott (PHI): 0-1, 3 BB, 2 SB.
As arguably the biggest stolen base threat of this bunch, Stott warrants a mention here. You’d think a player with his hit tool would struggle to find stolen base opportunities but Stott has been steadily improving his walk rate from 6.1% in 2023 to 9.6% this season. Last night was the perfect example of his skill set.
Josh Jung (TEX): 2-4, 2 SB.
Josh Jung reached on a pair of weak singles but managed to swipe a bag each time. Since coming off the IL, however, Jung has struggled with only two homers, a .223 batting average, and a 44 wRC+. The problem lies within his decision making though with one walk to 29 strikeouts in that span. Jung is absolutely pressing right now. Plate discipline has never been Jung’s calling card so unless he can go full Chris Davis and unlock his ceiling as a power hitter it’ll be hard for him to compensate for those strikeouts. Unless you’re a rebuilding dynasty club, Jung won’t be helping you to a championship anytime soon. Well, not Josh Jung at least…
Jace Jung (DET): 1-3, 2B.
I couldn’t resist the opportunity to talk about both Jung brothers here. Jace just narrowly missed out on his second career barrel as his double only clocked in at 97.6 mph. We know that he has power with 28 HRs last season and 15 HRs in 430 PAs in the minors this season. While he likely won’t be a 40 HR threat, Jace is still only 23 years old and dare I say it, the Tigers’ player development might just be- good?
Jace Jung could teach his older brother a thing or two about plate discipline too with a 16.1% walk rate in 2024. It may be difficult for him to stay at such a high clip against major league pitching but it does fall perfectly in line with his career numbers.
Alí Sánchez (MIA): 3-5, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB.
If you haven’t heard of Ali Sanchez before, that’s okay. I hadn’t either. Last night were his first and second career stolen bases and raised his career batting average from .157 to .181. Since the Marlins traded Christian Bethancourt, Sánchez has started to carve out regular playing time behind the plate. If he can continue to be an asset defensively, then it may not be long before Nick Fortes is on the outside looking in, giving more time for the bat to develop. Sánchez did have 11 HRs and a .311/.375/.492 triple slash in Triple-A as a member of the Diamondbacks organization last season.
Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)