Lawrence Butler Extends Hitting Streak, Moves Up Oakland Athletics' All-Time Leaderboards

Thanks to his double in the third inning of Thursday's showdown with the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler now boasts a 20-game hitting streak.

Aug 31, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) reacts at second base after hitting a double during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Nobody in the big leagues has an active hitting streak longer than Lawrence Butler's, and the Oakland Athletics slugger tacked another game onto his total on Thursday.

Butler reached on an error in the first, then delivered a double in the third inning of the Athletics' matinee showdown with the Houston Astros. Even though he failed to reach safely for the rest of the afternoon, Butler still managed to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.

MLB's next longest active hitting streak is 10 games, belonging to San Diego Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez.

According to the Athletics' Baseball Information Direction, Mike Selleck, Butler's hitting streak is now the franchise's fifth-longest since they moved to Oakland in 1968.

Jason Giambi owns the record with a 25-game hitting streak he put up in 1997. Miguel Tejada and Carney Lansford are tied for second with the 24-game hitting streaks they posted in 2002 and 1984, respectively, while Eric Byrnes' 22-game hitting streak from 2003 ranks fourth.

The .759 slugging percentage that Butler boasts during his hitting streak is higher than anyone else in that top five, though, with Byrnes' .706 mark coming the closest.

OAKLAND A's LONGEST HITTING STREAKS
25 Jason Giambi, 1997
24 Miguel Tejada, 2002
24 Carney Lansford, 1984
22 Eric Byrnes, 2003
20 Lawrence Butler, 2024*
*active, includes today

— Mike Selleck (@MikeSelleck) September 12, 2024

Butler is now batting .269 with 21 home runs, 54 RBI, 14 stolen bases, an .840 OPS and a 2.7 WAR in 2024. Just since July 1, however, the 24-year-old outfielder is batting .322 with 19 home runs, 46 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and a 1.003 OPS.

The Athletics went on to lose 6-3 on Thursday after giving up four runs in the bottom of the eighth. While Oakland is sitting at 64-83 on the season, the club has a far more palatable 34-27 record since July 1.

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