Ryan Butler
| IP | 108 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.417 |
| WHIP | 1.435 |
| BB/9 | 3.583 |
| SO/9 | 7.167 |
- Full name Ryan Jerome Butler
- Born 02/23/1992 in Charlotte, NC
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Charlotte
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Drafted in the 7th round (207th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2014 (signed for $186,900).
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Butler played at Charlotte's Ardrey Kell High, which opened in 2006 and has quickly built a strong baseball program, with its alumni list headlined by Braves lefthander Alex Wood. Butler helped the school win a state championship in 2009, tossing a four-hit shutout in the title game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder wasn't heavily recruited by Atlantic Coast Conference schools and wound up at Marshall, but pitched just 15 innings there and transferred to Northwest Florida State JC. He then hurt his elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery. Thirteen months later, back home in Charlotte, Butler threw a bullpen for the Charlotte coaching staff and hit 96 mph. A Yankees scout was also at the workout, and New York drafted him in the 16th round last year. Butler didn't sign, and he has been a workhorse this season for Charlotte who profiles as a fourth starter. He holds the velocity on his fastball, which at its best sits 92-94 mph and touches 97 with heavy sink. His slider and changeup are solid complementary pitches. He has more confidence in the changeup, which earns some average grades and at times has similar action as his fastball. Butler is 22 and one of the older prospects in consideration for the first 10 rounds.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Butler took a winding road to pro ball. He pitched sparingly as a freshman at Marshall in 2011 and not at all for Northwest Florida State JC in 2012 before having Tommy John surgery and missing 2013. The Yankees drafted him in the 16th round in 2013 after seeing him throw 97 mph in a workout, but he passed on signing and went to Charlotte. He wound up being drafted by the Padres in the seventh round in 2014. A large-framed righthander, Butler's fastball sits 91-95 mph as a starter but ticked up to 98 out of the bullpen. His secondary offerings lag behind, with a firm slider that has inconsistent tilt and a fringe-average changeup. He began the season in the high Class A Lake Elsinore rotation and performed well, but a shoulder issue knocked him out for two months, and he returned in a relief role. The absence of a reliable second pitch and a hitch in his delivery make it likely that Butler's future lies in relief, but the Padres will have him start to build innings. An improved slider will help Butler miss more bats. -
Butler pitched sparingly at Marshall in 2011 and not at all for Northwest Florida State JC in 2012 before having Tommy John surgery and missing 2013. He returned to make 13 starts for Charlotte in 2014, showing velocity up to 97 mph, and he signed with the Padres for $186,900 as a seventh-round pick. San Diego shifted him to the bullpen, and he breezed to low Class A Fort Wayne in July on the strength of a heavy fastball that peaked at 101 mph and sat at 97-98. Butler throws a fringe-average changeup to lefthanders, but he's working to tighten a below-average slider to keep hitters honest.
Draft Prospects
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Butler played at Charlotte's Ardrey Kell High, which opened in 2006 and has quickly built a strong baseball program, with its alumni list headlined by Braves lefthander Alex Wood. Butler helped the school win a state championship in 2009, tossing a four-hit shutout in the title game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder wasn't heavily recruited by Atlantic Coast Conference schools and wound up at Marshall, but pitched just 15 innings there and transferred to Northwest Florida State JC. He then hurt his elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery. Thirteen months later, back home in Charlotte, Butler threw a bullpen for the Charlotte coaching staff and hit 96 mph. A Yankees scout was also at the workout, and New York drafted him in the 16th round last year. Butler didn't sign, and he has been a workhorse this season for Charlotte who profiles as a fourth starter. He holds the velocity on his fastball, which at its best sits 92-94 mph and touches 97 with heavy sink. His slider and changeup are solid complementary pitches. He has more confidence in the changeup, which earns some average grades and at times has similar action as his fastball. Butler is 22 and one of the older prospects in consideration for the first 10 rounds.
