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The Athletics' Lawrence Butler was ranked No. 90 on the MLB Network's list of top 100 players heading into the 2025 season. His close friend and Atlanta Braves star Michael Harris II recognized his inclusion.
Butler hit .262 with a .805 OPS last year with 57 RBIs and 22 home runs. 20 of those bombs came in the second half of the season, where he clipped at .302 and achieved a .943 OPS over 73 games. He also stole 14 bases during that stretch, showcasing his power-speed fiery combination.
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Harris celebrated Butler's success on Instagram on Thursday. He posted a story and described his fellow Atlanta native with two emojis.
Harris and Butler are opponents in the MLB but are but are friends off the field. They got to know each other during their time in Atlanta's local leagues with Harris playing for Sandtown Park in the Southwest and Butler for Gresham Park in the East.
“Our dream was to make it to the league,” Harris said in October, via MLB.com. “To see (Butler) start off like this and have some success and have fun and be an exciting player is huge. ... We root for each other.”
The two will face each other in Sacramento in the 2025 season when the Braves visit the Athletics in their temporary home on July 8-10.
Lawrence Butler all set to continue momentum into the 2025 season
Lawrence Butler will carry the weight of being a probable breakout star for the As in 2025 and he is hoping to live up to expectations. In an interview on Jan. 16, Butler opened up about his plans for the upcoming season.
“Really just looking to take the momentum from the second half into the new year with me,” Butler said, via MLB.com. “I’ve been focusing on every aspect of my game. I don’t really like to single out one. I’m just trying to get better in every aspect of my game to take my career to the next level. That’s been my focus this offseason.”
He will also look to manufacture enough results to earn an all-star cap. That will help Butler realize his dream of playing among the top stars in the MLB in his hometown of Atlanta.
