'Like Mom and Dad': Sabathias watch Butler's huge 3-run HR

MESA, Ariz. -- Sensing he was in the presence of MLB royalty, Lawrence Butler decided it was time to show out.

Fresh off his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, CC Sabathia and his wife, Amber -- who is Butler’s agent -- were in attendance at Hohokam Stadium to watch the A’s outfielder and other CAA clients playing in Friday’s Cactus League matchup between the Athletics and Reds.

Stepping into the box against Reds flamethrower Hunter Greene in the second inning of 13-1 A’s blowout victory, Butler turned on a 1-2 fastball from the right-hander and launched it well beyond the wall in right-center and onto the berm for a three-run home run.

After rounding the bases and crossing home plate, Butler pointed to CC and Amber, who were watching from the stands.

“That’s like Mom and Dad,” Butler said of the Sabathias. “That’s really like unc and auntie right there. To be able to do that is crazy. CC is a Hall of Famer. I send my congratulations to him for getting into the Hall of Fame. To homer in front of them was pretty cool.”

The homer was Butler’s second this spring. His first was a solo shot in the A’s Cactus League opener last week against the Padres at Peoria Sports Complex, which he demolished for a Statcast-projected 423 feet at 110.8 mph off the bat.

Friday’s homer was another majestic blast, carrying an exit velocity of 108.4 mph.

“It felt amazing,” Butler said. “Especially in Spring Training, you want to get your timing down and see the ball off the bat pretty well. That was just a good swing I put on a good pitch. [Greene] is a really good pitcher. He was up to 99 [mph] and probably 100 today, so I was just trying to put the bat to the ball.”

The home run came after Butler adjusted to a two-strike approach. He had swung at two previous fastballs of 99 mph and knew a third one might be coming. Sure enough, Greene threw another, and Butler did not miss.

“Two strikes, I squared up and just was trying not to do too much,” Butler said. “He threw two of them before. Me and [A’s outfielder Seth Brown] live by the ‘three rule,’ which is, you might get me twice, but the third time, I’m gonna get you.”

Butler also scorched an RBI single in the third inning that registered 108.3 mph off the bat, continuing what has been a hot start to Cactus League action in which he is hitting .583 (7-for-12) through four games.

For Butler, it’s less about the numbers and more about the approach. During his incredible second half of 2024 that saw him show major star potential by slashing .302/.346/.597 (.943 OPS) with 20 home runs, 18 doubles, two triples, 49 RBIs and 14 stolen bases from July 1 through the end of the season (73 games), Butler said a large reason for the success was learning how to make in-game adjustments quicker.

So far, that ability has carried over into Spring Training.

“Just talking with [manager Mark Kotsay], [director of hitting Darren Bush] and [Brent Rooker], really the whole team, we love to just talk approach,” Butler said. “What a pitcher might do to us in certain counts and what they might try to do depending on situations and stuff like that. I’m just continuing to learn the game and it’s helping me make adjustments during the at-bat instead of the next at-bat. I can think about what we talked about, realize it and apply it during the at-bat.”

Miller hits 102
There’s easing into Spring Training, and then there’s Mason Miller's version of easing in.

Making his Cactus League debut in the fourth, Miller fired a perfect inning with two strikeouts. His first punchout was a 101 mph fastball that Christian Encarnacion-Strand swung far too late on for strike three. One batter later, the 2024 All-Star closer fired a 102 mph heater that Will Benson swung through for his final pitch of the outing.

“He was throwing 99 to 100 in his live ABs a couple of days ago,” Kotsay said of Miller. “So, I’m not surprised by the 102 his first day out. He’s a power pitcher. That’s how he’s going to pitch. I’m just glad he finished his inning and felt good.”