Blake Butera earns Manager of the Year honor in Minor Leagues

Blake Butera was named Manager of the Year in Low-A East by Minor League Baseball.

In his first year at the helm of the RiverDogs, the Mandeville High School alum led the Charleston RiverDogs to the highest winning percentage (.683) in team history and their first championship. The squad’s 82 wins were tied for the most in all of Minor League Baseball.

The 29-year old has managed in the Tampa Bay Rays farm system for the past three seasons. Butera became the youngest manager in organized professional baseball when he took over the Rays Class-A short-season affiliate in 2018. He started as a coach after two minor league seasons as a player selected by Tampa Bay in the 35th round in 2015.

His father Barry Sr. and brother Barry Jr. also played minor league baseball.