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.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The 23-year-old has a .760 OPS since being called up to the big league roster roughly a week ago. Despite that, the A's don't seem too interested in playing Butler against left-handed starting pitchers. Butler has been out of the lineup both times the A's have faced a lefty since he was called up. The A's are playing for next season, so it's a bit surprising that they won't at least see how Butler fares against left-handed pitching. Regardless, he'll sit out, while Esteury Ruiz covers center field and bats leadoff versus Cole Irvin on Saturday.

Oakland Athletics rookie outfielder Lawrence Butler will be starting in right field and batting eighth in the order for his major-league debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals and right-hander Joan Adon. Butler is the team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he's worth a look in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues for his power/speed combination the rest of the way. Given the fact that the A's are playing out the string on a rough season, Butler should see regular playing time in Oakland. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter put up a .284/.350/.475 slash line with an .825 OPS, 15 home runs, 70 RBI, 21 doubles and 67 runs scored in 89 games for Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas to earn the promotion to the big leagues.

The Oakland Athletics are calling up first baseman/outfielder Lawrence Butler from the minors on Wednesday, according to a source, and he will join the team in Washington D.C. Butler is the club's No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he'll get his first call to the big leagues in 2023 after hitting a combined .284/.350/.475 with an .825 OPS, 15 home runs, 19 doubles, three triples, 70 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 67 runs scored in 89 games and 412 plate appearances for Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas. The 23-year-old brings an intriguing mix of power and speed to an A's club that is merely playing out the string in the dog days of August. The young left-handed bat has 20-20 potential at the next level and is worth a pickup in deep-mixed leagues with the chance for regular playing time for the last-place A's.

Oakland Athletics outfield prospect Lawrence Butler continued his impressive season by going 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and a solo home run for Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. Butler started the season in Double-A Midland after missing much of 2022 with a dislocated elbow, but hasn't missed a beat this season. The 23-year-old was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on July 14 and has hit .325 with three homers, 12 RBI and six stolen bases in just 10 games. Overall, the 23-year-old has hit .290 with 13 home runs, 59 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 2023. Butler's biggest blunder entering this season was his aggressiveness at the plate, but he only struck out 18.9% in Double-A and is down to a 15.9 strikeout rate for Las Vegas versus a previous career low of 27.8%. With the Athletics rostering one of the weakest rosters in baseball, Butler could and should see a chance at some point this summer. With true 20-20 potential, Butler should be on the radar in all formats.