Billy Butler: A Glimmer of Hope for a Grim Kansas City Royals Franchise

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It’s not often that we get to read about the Kansas City Royals in a good light.

With the second worst record of 44-68 in the major leagues, the Royals haven’t had a winning season in 10 years, when they won 83 games in 2003. To say this franchise needs to get back on the right track is an understatement.

The Royals don’t have the excuse of saying that they play in a division with the richest teams in baseball; the Detroit Tigers are fifth and the Chicago White Sox 12th, but the Minnesota Twins are typically in contention every year and their payroll ranks at the bottom third in baseball.

Maybe the Royals need to take some lessons from the Kansas City Chiefs? Okay, maybe I’m being a bit unrealistic because lately they’ve endured some harsh seasons, as well. It still doesn’t speak too highly of the Royals' franchise when the Chiefs' offseason was more eventful than the whole Royals' season thus far.

The Royals do have players that instill hope to their franchise, however. 

Though you’d look at one of those players, Billy Butler, at 6'2" and 240 lbs., and think he was supposed to be the fullback for the Chiefs. He doesn't appear to be very athletic...but then you watch him hit and you realize, at just 23-years-old, this guy has a serious future ahead of him.

Owned in just 13.7 percent of ESPN leagues, Butler is enjoying a very solid season for the Royals. With a .300 AVG, 13 HR, and 58 RBI, the time is now for fantasy owners to give Butler some respect and pick him up for your fantasy baseball team.

So why is Butler worth your time? 

Well for one, he’s second in all of the major leagues with 36 doubles. He’s on pace to hit 52 doubles this season! Since the All-Star break Butler has hit .337 and slugged .589. He has five HR and 20 RBI after the break. He’s also struck out just 70 times all season, which is a pretty nice feat for a young hitter.

Butler has turned it on in August, batting .400 with five doubles, two home runs, and 11 RBI. He’s seen his average rise 11 points in just 10 games. Butler's also gotten at least two hits in six of the 10 games he’s played. I’m perplexed as to why he’s available in so many leagues. 

When Butler was drafted with the 14th pick in the 2004 Draft, the Royals expected him to become more of a home run threat. His physical appearance alone makes you think he’d easily eclipse the 30-HR threshold. Butler hasn’t yet become a huge power threat, but he has turned into a pure hitting machine.

During his days in the minor leagues, which totaled five seasons and 1,532 AB, Butler hit just 73 HR, drove in 333, but did hit at a very healthy .336 clip. Butler played in parts of every level of the Royals' minor leagues and only hit below .300 one time, which was in 2007 when he hit .291. He’s never been a guy to strikeout too often, with 80 being his highest total, which he earned as a 19-year-old in Single-A.

The Futures Game MVP in 2006, Butler has done nothing but rack up doubles throughout his career. Butler collected 110 two-baggers in the minor leagues, and already has 81 at the major league level in 1,188 AB. His career average, .289, in the majors seems low compared to his minor league track record. I wouldn’t expect it to linger below .300 much longer.

Jason Grey, a scout for ESPN.com, recently wrote that Butler’s maturation has been connected with his, "Substantial improvements against right-handed pitching this season, batting almost 30 points and slugging more than 80 points higher than the past two seasons." He kills lefty pitchers, with a .340 AVG against them. For his career he has a .256 AVG against righties, but this season it has improved greatly, to .285. I wouldn’t expect much regression in his batting average over this season either; his .336 BABIP is very close to his career .319 level.

Butler’s a fixture in the third spot of the Royals' batting order and is truly emerging as a lethal hitter. Baseball Prospectus has Dave Winfield as Billy Butler’s most comparable player, which is a lofty comparison, to say the least. That should make Royals fans (and some fantasy owners) giddy right there.

If you’re looking for a hitter to help you down the stretch, Butler is your man. 

He’ll definitely pad your average, drive in some runs, and hit a few balls out of the yard. With the way he’s developing right now, 20 HR can’t be ruled out. For those in keeper leagues, there should be no question about it, get Butler on your team if you need somebody for first base. Playing in Kansas City, he doesn’t come with all of the publicity like many first base options…but he unquestionably comes with a smooth stroke and some unfulfilled potential.

What do you guys think? Are you believers in Butler? What do you think of his long-term status?