Photo by: Miami Marlins
Call to The Show: Blake Butler
3/26/2026 12:17:00 PM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Opening Day will look a lot different in 2026 for College of Charleston baseball alum Blake Butler.
After spending the last two seasons managing his hometown Greensboro Grasshoppers, the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Butler got the call to the Show. Butler joined the Miami Marlins as its infield coach over the winter and is ready to embark on his new coaching journey.
"I had actually just accepted the Infield Coordinator job with the Pirates, so I was going to get to travel the system and really focus on the infield development for the Pirates," said Butler. "I got a call from my boss that the Marlins wanted to interview me for a Major League role and didn't really know what to think of it."
Throughout the interview process, Butler was able to meet a lot of intelligent people in the game, both through video calls and in Miami. One of those individuals is Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "He's a fantastic leader," said Butler. "It seems like it's going to be really, really easy to work for [McCullough] and going to push you to be the best version of yourself."
Something new to Butler's responsibilities will be supervising the infielders during Spring Training alongside director Hector Crespo, who Butler played against when Crespo was in college at App State. "It will look a little bit different in the sense of, when you're managing, you're doing a little bit of everything, running through the different stations," explain Butler. "I'm just going to be on the dirt, which I'm excited about. A lot of ways to get to really focus in and area and kind of dive back into some skill development and be really focused on setting our guys up for success this 2026 season."
Butler heads to South Beach following a pair of seasons with the Grasshoppers, where he posted a 163-98 record, guided the team to postseason appearances both years and took home the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year award following an 88-43 mark in 2025.
During the 2025 season, Butler was able to witness history, not once, but twice, as the Grasshoppers tossed two perfect games in a nine-day span. "As a manager, you're honestly just trying not to mess it up," joked Butler. "I think about the sixth inning, you start to go, 'okay, something's in the air here, something's going on here,' because it's July 4. We're on the road in Aberdeen with a big crowd, so you get a sense that something big is going on." Ironically, two of his former CofC teammates, Devon Reed and Brandon Glazer, happened to pick the right game, and also witness Butler and the Grasshoppers toss the perfecto.
A native of Greensboro, Butler once walked the steps of First National Bank Field in a different capacity, working as a vendor in the ballpark, where he got to witness the likes of future Marlins Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton and JT Realmuto, to name a few. "I turned 16, you're trying to get jobs and what cooler of a job than to sell cotton candy and slushies at a baseball field. I walked up and down the steps for two-and-a-half hours and Jack McKeon, World Series manager for the Marlins, is sitting at the top of the dugout with his big World Series ring. He's a native of the Greensboro area as well."
Walking those steps as a 16-year-old, Butler never dreamed of managing in the ballpark, but it was amazing to "go full circle and get back and be on the top step and manager for two seasons. The message was to respect everybody. You just never know who's going to be there a decade later being a leader in the same space. It was an honor and awesome to be close to my family who all still live there and have that support away from the field."
Before getting into coaching, Butler was a standout infielder at the College, hitting over .300 during his collegiate career and helping Charleston get to two NCAA Regionals, including the 2015 Lubbock Super Regional. Before eventually being named the 2015 CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Butler quickly gained the respect of his elder teammates as a freshman in 2013, nearly starting every game at second base.
"I really struggled my first fall, as a lot of freshmen do when they show up to campus. You try to gain weight, get stronger and perform at the same time against the hardest competition you've ever faced, on top of a team just coming off a regional appearance. It was really challenging."
The determination and hard work instilled into him at a young age by his dad, who owns his own gas station, helped him tremendously at CofC. Despite struggling in the fall, Butler's hard work and desire to win every single night helped in setting the tone for his teammates once he earned his way into the lineup, just three games into the 2013 season. "I think it kind of fit the culture as well," explained Butler. "As a freshman class, we were stepping into a culture of hard work. It was relentless effort in the weight room, on the field and inter squads. There was just no letup ever with those clubs that I got to be a part of."
Not letting up led to two regionals during his time in Lowcountry, something he and his former teammates still bond and cherish. "It's everything you dreamed of," said Butler. "We were just so committed to winning and so committed to each other, it was something we always believed in. We had a lot of confidence in ourselves, but until you get over that hump, you really have to almost believe it before it happens, which I think that group really did. You could feel the momentum building throughout the season. We stepped into our identity and that really carried us into 2015. We took pride in winning, going and proving people wrong and taking the program to the national stage and to show that it could be, the best program in the state. It was something that we as players took pride in."
Butler and his teammates, which include current big leaguers Taylor Clarke and Bailey Ober, remain in touch to this day through the same group chat they created in Charleston. "My freshman year, we went to Auburn for a tournament and we got swept. We lost to Sean Manaea, who pitched for Indiana State on Friday night and still pitches in the big leagues today, so we didn't score many runs. I think it was like 37 degrees and he was throwing 97, so we didn't get a lot off him. Lost a tough one to Auburn on Saturday, close game, then lost to Middle Tennessee in another close game Sunday. So, it was like an eight, nine-hour bus ride back to Charleston. There was nobody talking on that bus ride. It was a very silent policy and that became the birth of our group chat, where we were all trying to make each other laugh, to get the other person in trouble, you know, by laughing on the bus on the way home."
Butler's successful collegiate career led him to being selected in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. After his playing career was over, Butler began his coaching career in the college rankings, beginning at his alma mater.
"I actually started at CofC with [head coach Chad Holbrook] in his first year there. I was doing some interviews for internships, and the plan was to get into advertising. Chad saw me on the street and asked if I wanted to come and help with the infielders. After spending a couple weeks with the staff, I knew this is what I wanted to do."
Butler was able to carry the winning culture instilled him as a player into his coaching career. "Playing wise at the time, [former head coach Monte Lee's] identity was building a program that mirrored professional baseball and I really felt like he did that."
That high standard continued on Holbrook's staff. "I had to give Chad a ton of credit, he's the first coach I ever worked for and started to see a different side of the game, and I really love how he cares about his players and what they experience within the program. It's something I probably took from Chad the most. He's really about creating experiences that are going to be memorable and positive. Chad does a wonderful job of being empathetic to his players and making sure they understand what the standard is, pushing them to improve, pushing them to be the best version of themselves, but also to have some grace and allow yourself to enjoy the process and enjoy what you first started playing baseball for, and in turn, you tend to perform better that way and enjoy the game."
The multiple eras of coaching at CofC truly helped shape Butler on both sides of the white line. As Butler is set to embark on a new era of his coaching career, he reiterated the success and winning mentality that's still engrained in College of Charleston athletics.
"If I could share one thing with the group, with anybody that shows up to play any sport at College of Charleston, it's that you have to believe that you can carry that chip on your shoulder, because Charleston is one of the best cities in the world and it deserves to have a great athletic department. I think there's a lot of fantastic people working in the athletic department and it's a responsibility to the players to meet those expectations and to elevate it to the be the best program in whatever sport it is in the state of South Carolina."
For complete coverage of Charleston baseball, follow us on X (@CofCBaseball) and Instagram (@CofC_Baseball).
After spending the last two seasons managing his hometown Greensboro Grasshoppers, the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Butler got the call to the Show. Butler joined the Miami Marlins as its infield coach over the winter and is ready to embark on his new coaching journey.
"I had actually just accepted the Infield Coordinator job with the Pirates, so I was going to get to travel the system and really focus on the infield development for the Pirates," said Butler. "I got a call from my boss that the Marlins wanted to interview me for a Major League role and didn't really know what to think of it."
Throughout the interview process, Butler was able to meet a lot of intelligent people in the game, both through video calls and in Miami. One of those individuals is Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "He's a fantastic leader," said Butler. "It seems like it's going to be really, really easy to work for [McCullough] and going to push you to be the best version of yourself."
Something new to Butler's responsibilities will be supervising the infielders during Spring Training alongside director Hector Crespo, who Butler played against when Crespo was in college at App State. "It will look a little bit different in the sense of, when you're managing, you're doing a little bit of everything, running through the different stations," explain Butler. "I'm just going to be on the dirt, which I'm excited about. A lot of ways to get to really focus in and area and kind of dive back into some skill development and be really focused on setting our guys up for success this 2026 season."
Butler heads to South Beach following a pair of seasons with the Grasshoppers, where he posted a 163-98 record, guided the team to postseason appearances both years and took home the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year award following an 88-43 mark in 2025.
During the 2025 season, Butler was able to witness history, not once, but twice, as the Grasshoppers tossed two perfect games in a nine-day span. "As a manager, you're honestly just trying not to mess it up," joked Butler. "I think about the sixth inning, you start to go, 'okay, something's in the air here, something's going on here,' because it's July 4. We're on the road in Aberdeen with a big crowd, so you get a sense that something big is going on." Ironically, two of his former CofC teammates, Devon Reed and Brandon Glazer, happened to pick the right game, and also witness Butler and the Grasshoppers toss the perfecto.
A native of Greensboro, Butler once walked the steps of First National Bank Field in a different capacity, working as a vendor in the ballpark, where he got to witness the likes of future Marlins Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton and JT Realmuto, to name a few. "I turned 16, you're trying to get jobs and what cooler of a job than to sell cotton candy and slushies at a baseball field. I walked up and down the steps for two-and-a-half hours and Jack McKeon, World Series manager for the Marlins, is sitting at the top of the dugout with his big World Series ring. He's a native of the Greensboro area as well."
Walking those steps as a 16-year-old, Butler never dreamed of managing in the ballpark, but it was amazing to "go full circle and get back and be on the top step and manager for two seasons. The message was to respect everybody. You just never know who's going to be there a decade later being a leader in the same space. It was an honor and awesome to be close to my family who all still live there and have that support away from the field."
Before getting into coaching, Butler was a standout infielder at the College, hitting over .300 during his collegiate career and helping Charleston get to two NCAA Regionals, including the 2015 Lubbock Super Regional. Before eventually being named the 2015 CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Butler quickly gained the respect of his elder teammates as a freshman in 2013, nearly starting every game at second base.
"I really struggled my first fall, as a lot of freshmen do when they show up to campus. You try to gain weight, get stronger and perform at the same time against the hardest competition you've ever faced, on top of a team just coming off a regional appearance. It was really challenging."
The determination and hard work instilled into him at a young age by his dad, who owns his own gas station, helped him tremendously at CofC. Despite struggling in the fall, Butler's hard work and desire to win every single night helped in setting the tone for his teammates once he earned his way into the lineup, just three games into the 2013 season. "I think it kind of fit the culture as well," explained Butler. "As a freshman class, we were stepping into a culture of hard work. It was relentless effort in the weight room, on the field and inter squads. There was just no letup ever with those clubs that I got to be a part of."
Not letting up led to two regionals during his time in Lowcountry, something he and his former teammates still bond and cherish. "It's everything you dreamed of," said Butler. "We were just so committed to winning and so committed to each other, it was something we always believed in. We had a lot of confidence in ourselves, but until you get over that hump, you really have to almost believe it before it happens, which I think that group really did. You could feel the momentum building throughout the season. We stepped into our identity and that really carried us into 2015. We took pride in winning, going and proving people wrong and taking the program to the national stage and to show that it could be, the best program in the state. It was something that we as players took pride in."
Butler and his teammates, which include current big leaguers Taylor Clarke and Bailey Ober, remain in touch to this day through the same group chat they created in Charleston. "My freshman year, we went to Auburn for a tournament and we got swept. We lost to Sean Manaea, who pitched for Indiana State on Friday night and still pitches in the big leagues today, so we didn't score many runs. I think it was like 37 degrees and he was throwing 97, so we didn't get a lot off him. Lost a tough one to Auburn on Saturday, close game, then lost to Middle Tennessee in another close game Sunday. So, it was like an eight, nine-hour bus ride back to Charleston. There was nobody talking on that bus ride. It was a very silent policy and that became the birth of our group chat, where we were all trying to make each other laugh, to get the other person in trouble, you know, by laughing on the bus on the way home."
Butler's successful collegiate career led him to being selected in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. After his playing career was over, Butler began his coaching career in the college rankings, beginning at his alma mater.
"I actually started at CofC with [head coach Chad Holbrook] in his first year there. I was doing some interviews for internships, and the plan was to get into advertising. Chad saw me on the street and asked if I wanted to come and help with the infielders. After spending a couple weeks with the staff, I knew this is what I wanted to do."
Butler was able to carry the winning culture instilled him as a player into his coaching career. "Playing wise at the time, [former head coach Monte Lee's] identity was building a program that mirrored professional baseball and I really felt like he did that."
That high standard continued on Holbrook's staff. "I had to give Chad a ton of credit, he's the first coach I ever worked for and started to see a different side of the game, and I really love how he cares about his players and what they experience within the program. It's something I probably took from Chad the most. He's really about creating experiences that are going to be memorable and positive. Chad does a wonderful job of being empathetic to his players and making sure they understand what the standard is, pushing them to improve, pushing them to be the best version of themselves, but also to have some grace and allow yourself to enjoy the process and enjoy what you first started playing baseball for, and in turn, you tend to perform better that way and enjoy the game."
The multiple eras of coaching at CofC truly helped shape Butler on both sides of the white line. As Butler is set to embark on a new era of his coaching career, he reiterated the success and winning mentality that's still engrained in College of Charleston athletics.
"If I could share one thing with the group, with anybody that shows up to play any sport at College of Charleston, it's that you have to believe that you can carry that chip on your shoulder, because Charleston is one of the best cities in the world and it deserves to have a great athletic department. I think there's a lot of fantastic people working in the athletic department and it's a responsibility to the players to meet those expectations and to elevate it to the be the best program in whatever sport it is in the state of South Carolina."
For complete coverage of Charleston baseball, follow us on X (@CofCBaseball) and Instagram (@CofC_Baseball).
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