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Hansen Butler
Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
5´11´´
195 pounds
Age: 25
SSS rank among all right-handed relief pitchers in the system: 14
2020 SSHP Top Prospect Rank: 92
Hansen Butler was a 25th round pick from North Carolina in 2019, and due to age and proficiency moved quickly through the White Sox system in his first professional year.
After sprinting through rookie ball (six games with the AZL White Sox for a 1.29 ERA and 0.57 WHIP, capped by a single Great Falls Voyagers inning in which Butler struck out the side), Kannapolis finally presented an insurmountable challenge to finish the year. With the Intimidators, Butler had seven outings, to a 7.71 ERA and 2.25 WHIP.
All told, Butler filed a 4.67 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 14 relief outings for his first pro season.
Butler’s strikeout dominance is something that he held throughout in 2019, even in Kanny where he did struggle; at 15.61 K/9, his first year was at the top of the charts — notable going forward for a late-inning reliever.
Given his speed bump with the Intimidators, Butler is likely to change teams (to the Cannon Ballers) but remain in Kannapolis to start 2021.
Top Prospect No. 82, Corey Zangari, was published on January 11.