As the start of the 2024 MLB season comes into view, Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler is confident his team is going to surprise a lot of people.
In speaking to MLB.com's Martín Gallegos at spring training, the young outfielder described his intense preparation this offseason and his expectations for the team in 2024.
“I think our whole team is slept on,” Butler said. “We have a very young talented team, but the stigma around the A’s is too much about everything else that is going on. That kind of lights a fire under us that nobody is really talking about us, and they really don’t see the talent we have.
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“We’re coming for a lot this year. We’re slept on. Everybody is going to underestimate us, and that’s just going to make it even better for us when we beat them.”
Much of the dialogue surrounding the A’s in recent years has had more to do with the ballclub’s pending move to Las Vegas and the limbo surrounding where they will play after the 2024 season when their lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires, rather than on the team's performance.
The A’s have lost 100-plus games in back-to-back seasons and are not projected to be in contention in the fierce American League West division. Still, Butler has belief in himself and his team to turn things around.
While the team has plenty of other talented, young prospects, they face an uphill battle against the likes of divisional foes such as the Texas Rangers, the defending World Series Champions, and the Houston Astros, a perennial postseason force.
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Butler quickly rose through the ranks during his time in the minor leagues before getting called up on Aug. 11 last season for his big-league debut. In 42 games with Oakland, Butler batted .211/.240/.341 with four home runs and 10 RBI.
The rookie outfielder learned a lot from those games, which provided a huge boost to his confidence.
“That [MLB] stint was amazing for me because it kind of showed me what I can do and what I can’t do,” Butler said. “It also just showed me that I belong. That was a big confidence booster for me.”
The A’s will open their season on March 28 at home vs. the Cleveland Guardians.