Rays manager Kevin Cash has fielded that question many times this season, so he chuckled before answering. "Joey can hit. Write it."
Yes, the 29-year-old rookie continues to reaffirm what Cash has been saying since early in Spring Training. Butler takes a team-leading .327 average with six home runs and 20 RBIs into Thursday's off-day. Despite his age and baseball pedigree, Butler has inserted himself into the American League Rookie of the Year Award race.
The Rays signed Butler as a free agent in January, invited him to Spring Training, watched him hit the ball all over Charlotte Sports Park, then sent him to Triple-A Durham to start the season.