Texas Rangers Academy Notebook for February 21, 2025: Interview with new Manager of Baseball & Softball Operations, Ruby Butler; Texas Rangers Youth Academy Announces 2025 MLB Breakthrough Series Invitational selections

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy this month announced the hiring of former University of Maryland softball player Ruby Butler as Manager, Baseball & Softball Operations. In addition to her time as a player, the Washington native brings multiple years of experience in softball instruction and athletics operations to the role.

Butler spent the final two seasons of her collegiate career at Maryland after transferring from Bossier (La.) Parish Community College, going on to earn Academic All-Big Ten honors prior earning a degree in Economics in 2022.

After graduation, she returned to Bossier Parish where she served as an assistant softball coach and athletics operations coordinator for a full year before entering the business field. In joining the full-time staff at the Academy, Butler sees an opportunity to share her passion for the game with the next generation of players.

“The opportunity at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy felt like the perfect way to reconnect with my roots,” she said. “The chance to work with young athletes, especially in underprivileged communities, and help them grow not just as players, but as individuals, is exactly the kind of impact I’ve been seeking.”

In her role, Butler will oversee the development of both baseball and softball athletes. The challenge of cultivating instruction programs for both sports is one she is fully prepared to tackle.

“While they are two separate sports, the shared foundation between baseball and softball makes the transition much smoother than it may initially appear,” she explained. “Both require an understanding of the unique nuances of each sport, but the core principles - such as proper mechanics, field awareness and teamwork - remain the same. I’m confident in my ability to adapt and apply my experience to both sports."

Despite spending just a short period of time in her new position, Butler has already felt fully embraced by the welcoming and supportive culture the Academy provides to its athletes and staff alike.

“It’s clear that everyone is focused on player development, not just in terms of athletic ability, but also as individuals,” she said. “It has been apparent to see that the full-time staff, as well as our part-time coaches, are here because they want to be. They truly care about providing opportunities to play the game to young athletes of all skill levels.”

QUICK HITTER

Rangers Youth Academy releases roster for 2025 Baseball Breakthrough Series Invitational

• What it is: The Breakthrough Series Invitational is an annual 17U tournament held each summer at the historic Jackie Robinson Sports Complex in Vero Beach, Florida. The event features some of the most talented high-school level athletes from around the country.
• Why it Matters: Last year, in its inaugural trip to the Breakthrough Series Invitational, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy Scout Team posted a 4-1 record and advanced to the championship round, but ultimately finished in second place.
• The Roster: The Texas Rangers Youth Academy on Tuesday announced its 16-man roster for the 2025 Breakthrough Series Invitational:

Texas Rangers Youth Academy 2025 Breakthrough Series Invitational Roster:

Daylon Brooks

Tyler Hamilton

Dominik Harper

Vincent Hood

Braylon Hubbard

Maddox Johnson

Raul Lomas

Christian Lux

Emiliano Maldonado Daniel Martinez

Kyle Moore

Ethan Pacheco

Santiago Pereira

Jayden Phillips

Santos Salinas

Evan Smith

Education & Buckner International Programming

The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy goes beyond baseball and softball programming to benefit our community. With help from our partner Bucker International, the Academy hosts free education and enrichment courses for athletes and their families throughout the year. Register here for all Youth Academy classes.

The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at the Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota, opened in December 2017. This state-of-the-art facility provides children across North Texas a place to play baseball and softball. In addition to providing year-round baseball and softball instruction, the Academy hosts tournaments, coaching clinics, and skills camps. It also gives young students access to tutoring programs, college prep classes, college and career fairs, financial literacy and internship programs, and MLB industry alternative career workshops. Donate to the Texas Rangers Youth Academy at rangers.com/donate.

Buckner International is a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of orphans, vulnerable children, families, and senior adults in and internationally. Founded in 1879 in Dallas, Texas, today Buckner serves people through various programs designed to protect children and build strong families. These programs include foster care and adoption, family transition programs, community-based family preservation programs, and retirement services for senior adults. Buckner also provides humanitarian aid and crisis relief to poverty-stricken children and families. Learn more and get involved at Buckner.org.

The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy is located in West Dallas at the Mercy Street Sports Complex. Mercy Street Sports is a component of the Christian-based non-profit organization in the inner-city community of West Dallas. Founded in 2003, Mercy Street, Inc. utilized a mentoring program as the primary vehicle to promote positive change and cultivate leaders in the West Dallas community. In 2005, the non-profit integrated the sports component Mercy Street Sports to extend its outreach efforts and further impact the community. The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation is excited to partner with Mercy Street Sports to further impact the West Dallas community, considered one of the most challenged areas in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The Nike Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, which has served approximately 2 million young people since its inception, is administered by Major League Baseball and designed to give youth from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball while also encouraging academic achievement and success and teaching the value of teamwork and other important life lessons. Nike RBI serves young men and women in over 200 programs in approximately 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $40 million worth of resources to the Nike RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support Nike RBI leagues. For more information about the Nike RBI World Series, please visit MLB.com/rbiworldseries.