Keith Butler

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #21 prospect in 2014
  Part of the parade of rookies who made their debuts in 2013 with the Cardinals, Butler showed in the majors what he has in the minors: stinginess with hits coupled with a need for better command to be successful. Another one of the Cardinals' late-round, small-college picks to reach the majors, Butler has a breaking ball that some call a slider, others say is a curve and sometimes acts as a slurve. He can throw it at different paces, from a Frisbee pitch with horizontal break to a harder-biting variety. In 20 big league innings, Butler averaged 74 mph on his curve, featured an improved changeup, and still sat at 91 mph with a lively fastball. In five pro seasons, opponents are hitting .201 against him, but his walk rate (3.6 per nine innings in the minors) remains too high for more than a set-up role. Butler is not an imposing figure on the mound, but he has a quick, snappy delivery and delivers the ball from a low angle that can confound. He's positioned to compete for a spot in a crowded major league bullpen, but will likely open as a depth option assigned to Triple-A Memphis.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #29 prospect in 2013
  Some scouts see it and think it's slow enough to be a curve. Catchers decline to commit and call it a breaking ball. Some coaches term it a slurve. And Butler insists it's a slider. By any name, his breaking ball is effective. He can throw it at different speeds with different breaks, ranging from a Frisbee slider to a downer curve, using it for strikes or as a chase pitch. It's the main reason he has held opponents to a .203 average in four years of pro ball. Signed for $25,000 as a 24th-rounder in 2009, he contributed 25 saves to Springfield's march toward the 2012 Texas League championship. Though unimposing on the mound, Butler has a quick delivery and throws from a low arm angle, a tick above sidearm. His lively fastball arrives at 90-93 mph, his breaking ball runs in the low 80s and his changeup drops into the 70s. There are innings when he'll only throw changeups and variations of his breaking pitch, so hitters often are surprised when he uses his fastball and they take it for strikes. Josh Kinney turned a similar breaking ball into a ticket to the majors, and Butler could do the same after joining the 40-man roster in November.