Francisco Butto

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #16 prospect in 2004
  Butto and Yoel Hernandez are products of the Phillies' improving scouting and developmental efforts in Venezuela. The organizational glut of pitchers at the two Class A levels forced Butto to come out of the bullpen early in 2003 at Clearwater. Once he found a place in the rotation, Butto settled in nicely and reeled off the best year of his pro career. His fastball, which tops out at 93 mph, and breaking ball rate as average and can be a touch above at times. His changeup has a chance to be average. Like Hernandez, Butto has a good feel for pitching and solid command. Butto also spent the 2002 offseason pitching for Aragua in his native Venezuela, and the experience allowed him to grow mentally and emotionally, and made him more confident on the mound. He had another strong winter in the Venezuelan League after the 2003 season, which should further build his confidence. Butto will focus on consistently repeating his delivery and stuff in Double-A. He should fold into the back of a rotation or a middle-relief role in the long term.