Ty Buttrey Stats & Scouting Report

IP	29
ERA	9
WHIP	1.83
BB/9	4.34
SO/9	9.62

Full name Ty Douglas Buttrey
Born 03/31/1993 in Matthews, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Providence
Debut 08/16/2018
Drafted in the 4th round (151st overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2012 (signed for $1,300,000).

View Draft Report

Providence High has churned out several prospects in recent years, including Clemson's Richie Shaffer and North Carolina State catcher Brett Austin, and scouts were back this spring to see a tall, projectable righty in Buttrey. An Arkansas signee, Buttrey is 6-foot-5, 205 pounds and had early buzz this spring after touching 96 mph with his fastball. His velocity dropped off a bit later in the spring, attributable to him being used as a reliever between starts, and had been sitting 90-93 mph. Buttrey works quickly, throwing 6 1/3 innings in a start in April that lasted less than 90 minutes. His second pitch is a hard knuckle-curve that has downer action and sits 77-79 mph. He also mixes in a changeup that shows good fade at times. Already 19 years old, Buttrey is one of the older players in the high school class.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Buttrey was one of two relief prospects the Angels acquired from the Red Sox for second baseman Ian Kinsler on July 30, and the big righthander reached the big leagues for the first time on Aug. 16 after seven seasons in the minors. Within three weeks, Buttrey was closing games for the Angels and touching 100 mph.

Scouting Report: The physically imposing, 6-foot-6 Buttrey comes down at hitters with power stuff from a high three-quarters arm slot. His fastball averages 96 mph and touches 100, and he mixes in a sharp swing-and-miss slider in the low 80s and a mid-80s changeup. His fastball tends to straighten out and become more hittable when elevated, but he's been able to generate ground balls with his changeup, which he throws with good arm speed and at times looks like a splitter. Control problems forced Buttrey to move from the rotation to the bullpen in the minors, but he's figured out his delivery in relief and shows average control.

The Future: Buttrey will open 2019 in the Angels' bullpen. He has a chance to stake his claim as their closer of the future.
The 2017 season marked the first in which Buttrey entered the year knowing he was a reliever. After years spent wondering about his future role, he embraced the opportunity to go full throttle in shorter stints, with his velocity regularly reaching the upper 90s out of the bullpen and topping out in triple digits in the Arizona Fall League. Despite that high velocity, his fastball hasn't been a true swing-and-miss pitch but rather one that keeps opposing hitters honest and sets up a split-change that became Buttrey's primary strikeout weapon. While Buttrey's 2017 line (2-5, 4.81 ERA) in Double-A and Triple-A was less than dazzling and included a handful of clunkers, he struck out batters at a respectable 26.7 percent rate and kept the ball in the park (three homers in 63.2 innings) while generating a lot of ground balls, elements that left some scouts envisioning late-inning potential as he gets further acclimated to his role as a reliever. The Sox added him to the 40-man roster in November.
The Red Sox signed Buttrey to a bonus in line with a first-round pick ($1.3 million) out of high school in 2012 after seeing a pitcher who, despite a max-effort delivery, proved a relentless strike-thrower with a low- to mid-90s fastball and breaking ball, someone who looked like he had an easy floor of a reliever with the possibility of developing a starter's arsenal. But after he signed, Buttrey's velocity dropped in his early pro career, leading to mounting frustrations that peaked in 2014 when, after an infield play, Buttrey broke his hand while slamming it on the infield dirt at low Class A Greenville. In some ways, the downtime proved to his benefit. Buttrey made a few small delivery adjustments that freed him up on the mound, enabling him to repeat, and he returned to roughly his high school velocity while working with a better downward angle with a step forward in results. He dominated in four starts when opening 2015 back in Greenville, then delivered a solid performance while supplying steady innings at high Class A Salem. Given that he shows an above-average fastball without above-average secondaries, his most likely big league projection is as a bullpen arm with the possibility of time as a back-end starter. After the two long seasons that preceded 2015, however, that outlook suggests considerable progress.
Buttrey is the latest top prospect to come out of Charlotte's Providence High, following Richie Shaffer, who became a Rays 2012 first-round pick after three years at Clemson, and Brett Austin, a Padres 2012 supplemental first-rounder. Buttrey's price tag and commitment to Arkansas dropped him to the fourth round in June, with his $1.3 million bonus more indicative of his true value. While he's just getting going in pro ball, he has the potential to be a No. 2 or 3 starter. Buttrey's velocity fluctuated during the spring, but he's capable of sitting at 90-93 mph and reaching 96. He throws a 77-79 mph knuckle-curve that has downer action and a chance to become an out pitch. His changeup shows nice fade. Buttrey's large frame creates tough angles for hitters and should lend him the durability needed to start. He's advanced for a high schooler and will turn 20 before the start of the 2013 season, giving him a chance to open it in low Class A.

Draft Prospects

Providence High has churned out several prospects in recent years, including Clemson's Richie Shaffer and North Carolina State catcher Brett Austin, and scouts were back this spring to see a tall, projectable righty in Buttrey. An Arkansas signee, Buttrey is 6-foot-5, 205 pounds and had early buzz this spring after touching 96 mph with his fastball. His velocity dropped off a bit later in the spring, attributable to him being used as a reliever between starts, and had been sitting 90-93 mph. Buttrey works quickly, throwing 6 1/3 innings in a start in April that lasted less than 90 minutes. His second pitch is a hard knuckle-curve that has downer action and sits 77-79 mph. He also mixes in a changeup that shows good fade at times. Already 19 years old, Buttrey is one of the older players in the high school class.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Changeup in the Boston Red Sox in 2018

Career Transactions

Tacoma Rainiers released RHP Ty Buttrey.
Tacoma Rainiers transferred RHP Ty Buttrey to the Development List.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys released RHP Ty Buttrey.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys activated RHP Ty Buttrey from the 7-day injured list.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys sent RHP Ty Buttrey on a rehab assignment to FCL Astros.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys sent RHP Ty Buttrey on a rehab assignment to FCL Astros.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys placed RHP Ty Buttrey on the 7-day injured list.
RHP Ty Buttrey assigned to Sugar Land Space Cowboys from Corpus Christi Hooks.
RHP Ty Buttrey roster status changed by Houston Astros.
Houston Astros signed free agent RHP Ty Buttrey to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
RHP Ty Buttrey assigned to Corpus Christi Hooks.