Full name JOSEPH FRANK BUTLER, JR...Married, Yevonne...Two kids, Joseph III and Diadian...Attended the University of New Orleans, where he was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference second team as a senior.
2015
Spent the year as a 29-year-old rookie in Tampa Bay, starting the year in Durham before spending most of the year in St. Pete...Appeared in 88 games, making 61 starts (37-DH, 22-LF, 2-RF)…After being selected from Triple-A Durham on May 3, remained in the majors except for a two-week Durham stint in August…Among AL rookies he ranked 5th with a .276 average...Batted .329 (24-for-73) in May, tops among MLB rookies and a Rays rookie record for May (min. 50 PA)…His .344 batting avg. through June 15 was the highest by any major league rookie on that date (min. 100 PA) since 2001, when STL Albert Pujols (.354) and SEA Ichiro Suzuki (.350) both did it en route to winning Rookie of the Year...Through June 23, batted .338/.378/.519 (52-for-154) with 10 2B, 6 HR, 20 RBI in 44 games…After that, hit .151/.244/.178 (11-for-73) with 2 2B, 2 RBI in 30 games until he was optioned to Durham on Aug 13…Recalled for final time on August 27 (started only 5 games after Aug. 5)... Hit first career home run on May 4 at Boston (off Clay Buchholz)...Had a career-high 4 hits on May 31 at BAL, tying the Rays rookie record at the time...In an 8-1 loss on July 1 vs. CLE, broke up Carlos Carrasco's perfect game in the 7th (walk), and his no-hitter in the 9th (2-out, 0-2 RBI single)…In the season finale, in a 12-3 win on Oct. 4 vs. Toronto, his career-high 2 HR and 6 RBI included his first career grand slam (ended a streak of 131 PA without a homer).
2014
Opened the season with Triple-A Memphis (Cardinals) and was recalled to the majors on 5/9…Went 0-for-5 in 6 games with the Cardinals before he was optioned back to Memphis…was released two days later, 5/23, so his contract could be purchased by the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball
2013
Played 119 games at Triple-A Round Rock but received a Major League call-up on 8/7 and again when rosters expanded in September. Played in eight games for Texas... Made Major League debut on 8/7 at LAA as a pinch-hitter and remained in the game defensively... Recorded his first M.L. hit 8/9 in a start at HOU, going 2-for-3 with two doubles; first hit came off Erik Bedard in the third inning, a double to right field... Started four games at the Major League level, three in left field and one as designated hitter... Led Round Rock in walks (69) and on-base percentage (.395); while ranking second on the team in runs (71), home runs (12) and hit by pitch (6)... Finished the season reaching base safely in 35 consecutive games (7/22-end of season), the second longest streak during the 2013 Pacific Coast League season (Eugenio Velez 36, Memphis), posting a .439 on-base percentage... Posted a 13-game home hitting streak dating back to 8/18/12 through 4/8/13 batting .378 (17-45) during the span... Batted .375 (39-104) in June with 3 HR, 19 RBI and 9 doubles... Was 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI at Albuquerque (8/29), his lone multi-HR game of the season... Had streaks of eight games (8/12-20) and seven games (8/24-30) in which he received a walk, finishing the season drawing a walk in 18 of his final 21 games. Was not intentionally walked all season.
2012
Spent full season with Round Rock...was a member of the
Pacific Coast League team in the Triple-A All-Star Game...named
the Round Rock Express Most Valuable Player by the club...
ranked among the PCL leaders in walks (T2nd, 79), runs (4th, 93),
home runs (T11th, 20), and RBI (T11th, 78)...had the 3rd-highest
fielding percentage at .996 (1 E/267 TC) among outfielders with at
least 75 games played and finished T5th with 12 outfield assists...
batted .311 (106-341) with 13 home runs and 58 RBI against
right-handed pitching...hit .392 (143-365) in at-bats that did not
result in a strikeout...batted .298 (39-131) with RISP...12 of 20
home runs were solo shots...had a pair of 15-game hit streaks
from April 9-24 (.352, 19-54) and August 12-28 (.344, 21-61)...
went consecutive games without reaching base safely just 5 times...SPRING TRAINING: Appeared in 10 "A" games during spring
training, batting .462 (6-13) with 2 doubles, a triple, RBI, and 3
runs scored...appeared in 5 of the final 9 games in Surprise, batting .555 (5-9) with 2 doubles, a triple, and RBI...WINTER BALL: Played in 25 games with Mazatlan in the Mexican Winter League, batting .207 (18-87) with 5 doubles, a home
run, 5 RBI, and 11 runs scored.
2011
Split season between Frisco and Round Rock...combined
to bat .313 (147-470) with 28 doubles, 5 triples, 12 home runs, and
61 RBI over 126 games...named to the Pacific Coast League Postseason All-Star team...compiled the 9th-best average (.322) in the
PCL...amassed a .317 average (109-344) against right-handed
pitching and .302 (38-126) versus southpaws...opened season
with Frisco and batted .316 (6-19) through his first 6 games...
promoted to Round Rock on April 13, hitting .276 (16-58) over
15 games...transferred back to Frisco on May 6...promoted back
to Round Rock on May 14 for remainder of the season...hit .330
(104-315) over 98 games in second stint with the Express...compiled a team-best 16-game hit streak from May 28 to June 15,
batting .407 (24-59) during that stretch...hit a pair of home runs
on July 18 vs. New Orleans...hit safely in 96 of 113 games with
a plate appearance for the Express, going hitless in consecutive
games just twice...tallied the 3rd-most multi-hit games (38) on
the club.
2010
Spent the entire campaign with Frisco...led the RoughRiders in RBI, slugging, and on-base and tied for the team lead in home runs...finished with the 2nd-highest batting average on the club...named to the Texas League All-Star game...hit .304 (24-
79) over 21 games in April, including a season-high 5 hits, all singles, on April 16 at Springfield...batted .252 (72-286) prior to the
All-Star break and .309 (71-230) following the break...hit safely in 16 straight games from April 28 - May 15...batted .228 (13-57) with 2 home runs and 8 RBI over 14 games with the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.
2009
Spent the entire season with Bakersfield...led the club in games (134), runs (82), hits (146), and walks (46), while also ranking among the team
leaders in doubles (2nd, 33), home runs (5th, 12), and RBI (3rd, 76)...hit .315 (106-337) against right-handed pitching, while batting .216 (40-185) against lefties...batted .300 (80-267) following the All-Star break, after batting .259 (66-255) prior to the break...was named the California League Player of the Week for July 27 - August 2, recording multi-hit efforts in 6-of-7 games played
and batting .654 (17-26) with one home run and 7 RBI...earned TOPPS Minor League Player of the Month honors for July, batting .303 (33-109) with 8 doubles, 3 home runs, and 14 RBI in 29 games...hit .226 (7-31) with 3 doubles and 2 RBI in 8 games during the CAL League playoffs.
2008
Made professional debut with Spokane...hit .301 (68-226) with 4 home runs and 31 RBI in 62 games with the Indians...ranked among the Northwest League leaders in batting (7th), hits (T8, 68), walks (T4th, 40), and on base percentage (6th, .417)...hit .528 (19-36) with one home run and 5 RBI over first 11 professional games...reached base safely in 25 of his first 27 games...drove in a season-high 3 runs July 5 vs. Eugene...hit .323 (10-31) with 11 RBI with runners in scoring position and 2 outs...hit .400 (6-15) with one RBI over 4 playoff games for Northwest League champion Indians.
