OC Register: Rookie Ty Buttrey has quickly risen to prominent role in Angels’ bullpen

[AngelsWin.com]

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  Ty Buttrey pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Angels in his major-league debut last month against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas. Buttrey allowed a double but got three ground-ball outs in his debut. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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  Angels catcher Jose Briceno celebrates with relief pitcher Ty Buttrey after Buttrey pitched the ninth inning of their 5-2 victory over the White Sox to earn his first major-league save earlier this month in Chicago. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)

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  Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey walks in from the bullpen after the team defeated the Texas Rangers 8-1 last Wednesday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey throws to the plate during the ninth inning of the team’s 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium. Buttrey struck out the side to earn the save. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

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  Angels catcher Joe Hudson and pitcher Ty Buttrey celebrate after their 1-0 victory over the Texas Rangers last Tuesday at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey pumps his fist after striking out the side in the ninth inning to close out Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images)

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OAKLAND — Ty Buttrey jogged to the mound on Aug. 31 as a prospect and he walked off – 19 minutes and 33 pitches later – as a big leaguer.

At least, that’s the way the Angels’ rookie recalls his seventh major league game, one in which he worked his way into and out of a bases-loaded jam against the Houston Astros.

He went through the dangerous top of the Houston order, quieting a raucous Minute Maid Park.

“The confidence of getting those guys out, that definitely helped me out,” Buttrey recalled a couple weeks later. “It’s allowed me to be able to see that I do belong here. As a minor leaguer, we hope and wish what we can be. We don’t get to see it till we get to the big leagues.”

Since then, the 25-year-old Buttrey has quickly climbed the depth chart in the Angels’ bullpen, working his way into three save situations. He’s converted all three.

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Blake Parker, the closer whose job Buttrey has encroached upon, seems to have no issue yielding to his talent.

“The guy is lights out,” Parker said. “You can see what he’s got. He’s got upper 90’s with two wipeout pitches, and he’s getting some of the game’s best hitters. It’s exciting to see what he’s going to do in the future, for sure.”

Thirteen games into his big league career, Buttrey has allowed one run in 13-2/3 innings, with 16 strikeouts and four walks. He’s retired all 10 batters he’s faced in his three save situations.

Buttrey’s quick ascent is nothing new in what’s been a rollercoaster of a career.

College or pro scouts showed little interest in him through his junior year in high school in Charlottte, N.C., before his fastball jumped from 86 mph to 96 mph by his senior year. He earned a scholarship to Arkansas, but the Boston Red Sox made sure he’d pass up college. They signed him for $1.3 million, more than $1 million over the value for his spot in the fourth round of the 2012 draft.

Once Buttrey was in the Red Sox farm system, control problems caused him to stall. In 2016, he was 0-6 with a 6.08 ERA two months into the season. He had walked 25 batters in 37 innings.

Buttrey, who is 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, said it just took him time to figure out his delivery.

“People like to draft tall pitchers because you have angle and velocity, but you also have a ton of moving parts that need to be fine-tuned,” Buttrey said.

That rough start in 2016 also marked the end of his four years as a starter. A move to the bullpen helped his velocity increase, at times reaching 100 mph. By early in 2018, he was finally pitching consistently well as a reliever at Triple-A in the Red Sox system, but there seemed to be no opening to the big leagues.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting frustrated,” he said. “The Red Sox are in first place. They have an unbelievable team. Everyone knows the situation. They knew it. I knew. I obviously wanted a chance to show what I can do.”

On July 30, that chance came.

The Angels traded Ian Kinsler to the Red Sox, and acquired Buttrey and left-handed reliever Williams Jerez in return.

“I was completely excited,” Buttrey said. “It was sad because some of my friends, guys I spent six years with grinding through the minor leagues, I’m not going to be able to see as much, but that’s how the game goes. I was a little nervous coming to a new team, but the Angels have done a great job making me feel comfortable.”

Most of all, the Angels were in a position to provide opportunity. As they fell out of the race, their focus has shifted toward development and seeing what they have for the future.

Buttrey got the call to the majors on Aug. 16 and he made his major-league debut that night in Texas, with a scoreless inning. He showed the Angels a fastball that was consistently 96-98 mph, along with a tantalizing changeup and a sharp breaking ball. Buttrey said he thinks of it as a curve, even though the way it comes out of his hand sometimes makes it behave more like a slider.

Buttrey had allowed one run in 6-1/3 innings in his first six games before getting the call that night in Houston.

With the Angels holding a 3-0 lead in the eighth, Buttrey had the bottom of the order due. The situation, however, quickly became much more treacherous. Josh Reddick dumped a bloop single into center and then pinch-hitter Tony Kemp yanked a double into right, sending Reddick to third.

As the ballpark roared with the top of the Houston order due, pitching coach Charlie Nagy came to the mound. Cam Bedrosian began getting loose in the bullpen.

Buttrey relied on a skill he’d only recently emphasized: slowing the game down.

“A lot of deep breaths,” he said. “Controlling what I can control. Not worrying about the hit I just gave up. If there’s a guy at third, in the past I’d be like, I don’t want this guy to score. Now I’m not worried about the guy at third because I’m going to get the batter out.”

The batter, in this case, was George Springer. Buttrey went right after him with a first-pitch fastball, which Springer fouled off. He then got a called strike on a breaking ball. After missing with three straight offspeed pitches to run the count full, Buttrey blew a high fastball past Springer, for a strikeout.

Next up was Alex Bregman, one of the hottest hitters in the majors at the time. Buttrey missed with all four of his breaking balls, and walked Bregman on five pitches, loading the bases.

After 19 pitches, with the bases loaded and José Altuve coming to the plate, Buttrey figured his night might be over. But Manager Mike Scioscia, certainly interested to see what the rookie could do, left him in to face the reigning MVP.

“I’m glad they left me in,” Buttrey said. “That’s the stuff I want to get practice at. That’s the situation in the playoffs or World Series down the road that I’ll be able to look back on, facing those talented hitters.”

Buttrey got ahead of Altuve, 0-and-2. Then Buttrey threw his hardest pitch as a big leaguer: 99.9 mph. He followed with another at 99.6. Buttrey said later he had no idea he was throwing any harder because the adrenaline had taken over. Buttrey buried a breaking ball in the dirt to strike out Altuve.

Next up was Carlos Correa. Mixing fastballs that touched 99 mph and breaking balls, Buttrey got Correa on a pop-up on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

He left the mound a new man.

“Once it was over, that’s when my confidence grew,” Buttrey said. “Hopefully every time I go out, I can build my confidence.”

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A week later, Buttrey got the call to pitch the ninth, an opportunity he had no idea was coming. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Chicago White Sox to get the save. He retired all four hitters in a save to complete the Angels’ eight-pitcher shutout last Tuesday.

On Sunday, he struck out the side to finish off a one-run victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“Ty’s shown that whatever situation he’s put in, he goes out there and makes pitches,” Scioscia said. “That’s a great indicator that a guy can handle the back end of the bullpen, and pitch in the eighth, ninth; pitch in high-leverage situations. His stuff is really good. He’s got a fastball that can get by guys, and he can get under their swings with changeups and breaking balls too.”

His demeanor has also made him a favorite with his new team. In the clubhouse he plays the role of the rookie, barely saying a word, but on the mound, he seems like he’s done it before.

“I know I’m here and I feel like I belong,” he said, “but I have a lot more work to do.”

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Tyler Skaggs, 8-8, 3.78) at A’s (RHP Liam Hendriks, 0-1, 5.60), Tuesday, 7 p.m., Fox Sports West, KLAA (830 AM)

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