Lawrence Butler Wins AL Player of the Week--Again; What's His Ceiling?

Jason Burke | Sep 3, 2024

Oakland Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) gestures to the dugout as he rounds third base after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oakland A's right fielder Lawrence Butler has been named the AL Player of the Week for the second time since the beginning of July after batting .500 with six home runs and ten RBI. "Two in the same year is crazy" Butler said before Tuesday's game. "I'm just honored, blessed, very humbled to be able to say I won Player of the week twice."

Three of Butler's home runs came in a single game against the Cincinnati Reds on the road, and he showed off some of his swagger in the process. His previous Player of the Week win also came in a week in which he hit three home runs in a game, also on the road, against the Philadelphia Phillies. That week he went 8-for-22 (.363) with five homers and 13 RBI.

"I was hoping that he'd be acknowledged for the week he had" A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "It's a pretty tremendous week--one of my seasons, I think." In terms of home runs, the Oakland skipper wasn't exaggerating. From 2007-2013, Kotsay hit a combined 25 homers across 630 games, topping out at eight in 2010 with the Chicago White Sox.

Butler is still just 24 years old, and is in his first season in the big leagues after making his MLB debut in 2023. He spent the offseason staying in shape, putting consistent swings on balls, and working on his plate discipline. In 2024, that hard work is paying off.

It's not necessarily uncommon for a player to win two weekly awards in one season, but the list of American Leaguers that have earned a double dip this season includes Aaron Judge (three times) and Bobby Witt Jr., who figure to be a battle for the AL MVP award, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Juan Soto, with the latter expected to sign a long-term deal worth more than $500 million in a few months. Guerrero will be in line for a big payday after next season, with Witt and Judge already inking large deals.

It shouldn't be surprising that this is the company Butler is keeping, because his manager has some pretty high expectations for him. When asked what Law's ceiling is, Kotsay replied, "I mean he's already at 20 [home runs], right? We all go through our peaks and valleys, but the valley for him right now is smooth. The lack of that big drop and pick back up, says something about his consistency. If there's consistency throughout the season, he's putting up numbers that you would think a ceiling could be 40 home runs.

"And I don't even want to cap it there, because he's so young, and the tools and the talent are coming together."