Butler’s big-bodied freshman righty brings power stuff, but the ERA roller coaster shows the growth curve
In the 2026 season, Butler freshman RHP Jake Thomas flashed the raw ingredients teams want in a bullpen or back-end starter: a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame, a heavy workload, and a proven high-school résumé that included a 1.23 ERA, 22 strikeouts in 22.2 innings, and four saves. The early college results have been uneven—his 2026 Butler stat line shows a 9.31 ERA and 0-7 record—but his long-relief stamina and ability to miss bats suggest upside if the command tightens. He looks like a development project with sneaky value, not a plug-and-play ace.
