Lawrence Butler's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Oakland Athletics are set to recall first base/outfield prospect Lawrence Butler from Triple-A Las Vegas. Butler performed well enough in the Cactus League to break camp with the club, but struggled mightily and was demoted on May 14. In his time with Las Vegas, Butler hit .255 with four homers and nine RBI in 110 at-bats. Butler takes the spot of infielder J.D. Davis, who was designated for assignment. Butler hits the ball hard and offers pop and speed, but it hasn't translated in his two stints as a big leaguer thus far. The 23-year-old still can remain on the waiver wire for now, but he is worth watching as he should get a good opportunity to prove himself on a developing Athletics roster.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's Cactus League victory against the Seattle Mariners. Butler, 23, has been having a strong spring and is now hitting .433 with four RBI and a stolen base over his first 30 at-bats. The young outfielder had a strong minor league campaign in 2023 with a combined 15 homers, 70 RBI and 21 stolen bases to accompany a healthy .284 batting average across Double-A and Triple-A. His success on the farm earned him a promotion to the big leagues late last season, but he struggled with four homers, 10 RBI and a .211 batting average in 42 games. Butler had minimal playing time in Triple-A, so the growing pains were as expected in his first taste in the show. Despite that, Butler enters the season vying for an outfield spot on a young and non-competitive team that will be sure to showcase and give their young talent ample opportunities. The left-handed bat might struggle to drive in runs with a weak lineup, but his ability to hit for power and swipe bags makes him worth a gamble later in drafts.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler made it a point of emphasis in the offseason to work on his plate discipline, as the 23-year-old walked just four times in his first 129 major-league plate appearances in 2023. He hit .284/.350/.475 with 15 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 89 games with Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas last year and received his first big-league promotion on Aug. 11. Butler hit .211 with four homers while playing mostly center field in 42 games in the majors to close out the year. "I love the way he's come into camp," manager Mark Kotsay added. "You can tell he's got a mindset that he belongs here." The former sixth-round pick looked mostly overmatched at the plate with the A's last year, but his speed could be enticing as a depth outfielder in AL-only fantasy leagues in 2024.