November 12, 2008

 

Position: Outfield
Hits/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'2''/210
Birthday: 3/12/1986 (Age 22)
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2011 Season; Minor League Free Agent after 2014 Season

Background: Joey Butler was the Rangers' 15th round draft pick in this year's amateur draft out of the University of New Orleans. Butler landed at UNO after two years at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College after high school in Pascagoula, Mississippi. In high school, Butler played both basketball and football to go along with baseball, and he was named his team MVP in baseball and basketball. He chose to follow the baseball path, and he excelled in his two years of community college. He was named an all-state selection at MGCCC in both his freshman and sophomore years, catching the eye of UNO coach Tom Walter. At UNO, Butler was a solid starter almost immediately. After struggling early on during his junior year, he got locked in during mid-March and finished with a .340/.385/.479 line, including 5 homers. His patience at the plate seemed a bit lacking, as he finished with only 10 walks, but he was a strong candidate for a breakout senior year. Butler's senior year was a great one for the UNO program, as they made it as a third seed to the Baton Rouge Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Butler had another great year with the bat, finishing at .345/.416/.592 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI. He improved his batting eye and also had a penchant for getting hit by pitches, which happened 13 times. With improved power and plate discipline, Butler ended up with the Rangers in the 15th round, and scout Butch Taylor signed him quickly.

Tools: Butler has a decent collection of tools to work with. His hitting tool is probably one of his best tools, as he grades slightly above-average in terms of future hitting ability. He's been a .300 hitter at every stop so far, and that carried into his pro debut, as he led the Northwest League in hitting much of the year before he wore down. Expect most years to be somewhere in the .280 range. As for his power, Butler won't be one to hit 20 homers. His hitting approach is one of doing what you can with a pitch, and he's not going to be looking to hit every ball out of the park. Most of his long balls are of the line drive variety, so I don't expect the power that he somewhat showed in college to translate. With his glove, Butler is an above-average fielder. He played mostly right field in his debut, and he has the legs to track balls. He's not a center fielder by any means, but he's a quality corner outfielder. His arm is above-average as well, which has allowed him to succeed in right. He gunned out a pair of runners from right with Spokane, and his arm will keep runners honest. Butler does have some decent pure speed, though it translates rather roughly in his game. He's caught stealing a little too much for my liking, but with time he could improve. His hitting eye is about average, though it is improving. He takes a good number of pitches, though he takes good ones too, a cause of his somewhat high strikeout total. Overall, Butler has adequate tools to become a decent player. It will be how much he improves year-to-year that determines how his tools play out.

Professional Experience: 2008 was Butler's first pro season.

2008 Season: Butler entered the system as a relative unknown to most, and he was pegged as a starting outfielder on the Spokane squad. Butler quickly showed his great hitting abilities, as he went 19 for 36 in the month of June. His strong start virtually locked in his starting spot for the rest of the season, though he did struggle from that point. Butler's average struggled for the rest of the year, though his approach stayed consistent. Most players that struggle in their first pro season start to press, and it's a good sign that Butler did not. He spent most of the year in the corner outfield spots for the Indians, and he had some limited exposure to center field. However, he played best when in the corners. As expected, his power did not translate too well to the pro game, as evidenced by his .434 slugging percentage. His final line at the plate was .301/.417/.434, with his on-base percentage being the best sign. Perhaps the most important part of his debut was the fact that he was an integral part in Spokane's championship squad. He was highly respected by his teammates and coaches, and his pro debut can be viewed as nothing but a success.

Future Outlook: Butler profiles in a similar way to current Ranger Brandon Boggs. Both have a solid set of skills that were polished through college programs, and both of them best profile as fourth outfielders. Butler's 2009 campaign will play a big part in determining how legitimate his good 2008 debut was. If the Rangers decide they want to build a core team like they did with Clinton in 2008, I expect Butler to start in the outfield for the 2009 Hickory Crawdads. However, if they want to challenge Butler, they could assign him to Bakersfield, where he'd have to learn on his feet. The outfield projects to be crowded at either destination, as Bakersfield will have Tim Smith, Engel Beltre, and Mitch Moreland, while Hickory will likely have all the players from Spokane's outfield plus Cristian Santana and Miguel Alfonzo. Whichever way Butler goes, I expect him to succeed in hitting for average while being a great teammate. If all goes well, expect Butler to crack Arlington as a reserve outfielder most likely in 2011.

Written by Andy Seiler

Photo from kxly.com