Ranking The Rockies: 40 Eddie Butler

We at BSN Denver are running a series where we rank how valuable each of the Rockies’ 51 players was to the team in 2015. Value was calculated by statistics, viewing, and how memorable each player’s contributions were. The rankings will be from last to first, you may view the full rankings (here).

Player: Eddie Butler

Stats: 16 G, 78.1 IP, 3-10, 5.90 ERA, 1.8156 WHIP, 5.89 FIP, 79 ERA+, 5.0 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, WAR -0.5

Big Moment: May 30th, according to WPA (win portability added) Butler only had two positive starts, his one on May 30th, and his one on April 13th. His start on May 30th was in Philadelphia. He threw six innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and one earned run. Butler struck out three but it was one of only a handful of times where he walked one or less. The Rockies won 5-2, Butler had the defensive highlight of the game, turning a sac bunt into a 1-6-4 double play. Offensively the Rockies hit three home runs, one each from Nolan Arenado, Michael McKenry, and Ben Paulsen.

Season Recap: Coming into the 2014 season Butler was rated as high as the 24th best prospect in all of baseball. In 2014, Butler started in AA but when the Rockies staff got in trouble, they decided he would skip the AAA level and make his big league debut. After two starts Butler got hurt and then bounced between high A, AAA, and then back to AA. He’d make one more start in the majors before the season ended. This year Rockies GM Jeff Bridich admitted the way Butlers’ 2014 was handled was incorrect. This season Butler made the Rockies out of Spring Training, and he was just fine to start the year. Halfway through May Butler started losing his command, while being hit a lot harder. Not too long after Butler who was clearly not pitching up to his talent was sent down to AAA. He came back up to Denver for five starts late into the summer before once again being sent to Albuquerque. Butler wasn’t much better for the Isotopes this year, with a 2-6 record, in 11 starts, allowing 5.40 earned runs per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio has been alarming since 2013, which was his second season in the Rockies’ system. Butler’s command put him behind in too many counts this year, and I question if Butler can ever get himself right as a starter.

What’s Ahead: Butler still has his plus stuff of a fastball that can touch 97 MPH, and a bugs bunny slider that constantly hits 87 MPH on the radar gun. His issue is with his changeup. On average Butler’s changeup is only 5.5 MPH slower than his fastball. That is not enough of a difference in speed for batter’s to be confused by, that’s why I question his ability as a starter. In my view he would be better suited coming out of the bullpen, that way he can drop his changeup, and throw a fastball, slider mix. Starters are a lot more valuable than relievers, but the last two years at all levels for Butler have been disappointing. 2016 could be his make or break year, as the soon to be 25 year old will try to live up to his hype.