José Bautista
Encyclopedia
José Antonio Bautista is a Dominican
professional baseball
outfielder
with the Toronto Blue Jays
of Major League Baseball
. Though now primarily a right fielder
, having been a utility player
in the past, he has major league experience at six different positions. He is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
.
In the 2010 season
, Bautista set a Toronto Blue Jays single-season franchise record
by hitting a major league leading 54 home runs
, making him only the 26th member of the 50 home run club
in baseball history. He earned the title of American League Home Run Champion for that season. In 2011
, he once again led the major leagues with 43 home runs. He became the first player to earn two consecutive home run titles since Mark McGwire
of the National League
did so in the 1998
and 1999
seasons.
On July 3, 2011, Bautista set the all-time Major League record for the most All-Star votes received by a single player through fan balloting with 7,454,753 votes. This number greatly surpassed the previous record of 6,069,688 set by Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994
.
, Bautista played for the Baltimore Orioles
, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, Kansas City Royals
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
. He was also technically on the New York Mets
roster after being acquired from the Royals and dealt to the Pirates the same day. This made him the first and only player to be on five different Major League rosters in one season (more specifically, his rookie season).
Bautista, originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 amateur draft, was selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft
, and made his debut with Baltimore on April 4, 2004. He was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay on June 3, then traded to Kansas City on June 28. He was then sent to the Mets on July 30, and without playing a game for New York, was traded back to Pittsburgh.
In 2006, his first full season with the Pirates, Bautista hit
.235 with 16 home run
s and 51 runs
. The following season in 2007, he posted similar numbers in 142 games, finishing the season with a batting average of .254, 15 home runs and 63 RBI
.
That same year, he became the starting third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He took over for National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez
, who moved to second base.
, Toronto, and the New York Yankees
. However, Bautista struggled offensively for most of the year, after the 2008 trade deadline, Bautista lost his starting job to the newly-acquired Andy LaRoche
. He was optioned to Triple-A (Indianapolis Indians
) on August 13. After performing well in Triple-A, on August 21, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later
(Robinzon Diaz
).
for Scott Rolen
and the outfield for Alex Ríos
and Adam Lind
. When Rios was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox and Adam Lind was assigned the role of designated hitter
, Bautista's playing time increased; he became the leadoff hitter
after an injury to Marco Scutaro
. During this time, his hitting improved. Bautista had a 4 game home run streak snapped on October 3, but the next day hit a solo home run to lead off an inning off Baltimore Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. Bautista finished the 2009 season with 13 HR (10 of which came in the month of September), 40 RBI, a batting average of .235, and 79 hits in 113 games. He re-signed with the Blue Jays on a one-year $2.4 million US contract for the 2010 season.
' Kevin Millwood
on April 11. On May 17, Bautista was named AL Player of the Week after hitting .444 (8-for-18) with 20 total bases, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 8 R, .565 OBP, and an MLB-best 1.111 SLG. Bautista hit his 20th home run as part of a 2-HR night against the St. Louis Cardinals
on June 22. This was a career high for a single season, an achievement he reached in just two months.
On July 4, 2010 Bautista was selected as a reserve for the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star game in Anaheim.
Bautista hit an inside-the-park home run against the Minnesota Twins on July 7, 2010. This was the 28th inside-the-park home run in Blue Jays history and the Jays' first since Greg Myers on September 13, 2005. Despite leading Major League Baseball in home runs before the All-Star festivities in Anaheim, Bautista was denied the opportunity to participate in the Home Run derby, and the last available spot was given to New York Yankees
outfielder Nick Swisher
. In the All-Star game, Bautista entered the game as a pinch runner for Josh Hamilton and finished the game 0–1, in an eventual 3–1 loss for the American League squad.
Bautista hit his major league-leading 30th homer of the year in a 4-for-4, two-home-run outing against the Baltimore Orioles on July 27. Bautista continued his dominant hitting on July 30, when he hit a grand slam off Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, his major league-leading 31st homer of the year, and the second grand slam hit by a Jays batter that season.
For the month of July, Bautista batted .347, with 11 HRs, 29 RBI, and an AL-leading .765 slugging percentage. As a result of his outstanding play in the month of July, he was named co-winner of American League Player of the Month honours (alongside Twins outfielder, Delmon Young
). Bautista was also named Honda July Player of the Month, which is selected through voting by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. With his 11 HRs in July and his 12 in May, Bautista became only the third Blue Jay player in franchise history to have two months with at least 10 home runs, the other two were George Bell in 1987 and Carlos Delgado
who did it in 1997 and 2001.
Bautista was awarded co-winner of the American League player of the week award for the period ending August 1, Bautista hit .545 with five homers and 13 RBIs during that span. With his 35th home run of the season, hit against the Boston Red Sox
on August 10, Bautista beat a franchise record previously held by Carlos Delgado
for hitting a home run in 11 straight series. On August 26, Bautista hit his 100th career home run against the Detroit Tigers
. Bautista was again awarded player of the week for the week ending August 29. In seven games that week, Bautista led the American League with a .500 batting average (10-for-20). He also hit four home runs and in doing so, Bautista became the only Blue Jays player to ever win the award three times in one season. Bautista won AL Player of the Month for the month of August, in which he hit he led the A.L. in home runs (12), RBI (24), slugging percentage (.724) and total bases (72), while tying for the lead in extra-base hits (18). He finished tied for second with 23 runs and was third with 23 walks. He also won the Honda Player of the Month Award, his second such award in as many months.
On September 15, Bautista tied the Blue Jays single-season home run record (set by George Bell in 1987) by hitting his 47th home run off of Baltimore's Brad Bergesen. Two days later in Boston, Bautista set the new Blue Jays single-season home run record by hitting his 48th home run off of Michael Bowden
. On September 23, Bautista became the 26th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 50-home run mark in a season off Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. Bautista is the first to reach 50 since Prince Fielder
and Alex Rodriguez
did so in 2007. The blast was also Bautista's 31st homer at home this season, breaking Carlos Delgado
's previous Blue Jays record set in 2000 of 30. The following day, Bautista had yet another multi-homerun game, hitting two against the Baltimore Orioles
. On September 30, Bautista hit two home runs once again, hitting a grand slam and a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins
. His 52nd home run set a new MLB record for the largest single-season increase in home runs, eclipsing Davey Johnson
's 38 home run increase from 1972 to 1973. Bautista finished the 2010 season with 54 home runs, the highest total since Alex Rodriguez hit 54 in 2007.
On October 21, 2010, Bautista underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia that had bothered him since May.
Due to his outstanding offensive performance during the 2010 season, Major League Baseball announced on October 31, 2010 that Bautista had won the American League Hank Aaron Award
. He became the second Blue Jay to win the award, after Carlos Delgado
won it in 2000.
On November 11, 2010, it was announced that Bautista had won a Silver Slugger Award for being one of the top hitting outfielders in the American League. He became the 22nd Blue Jay to win the award, and the most recent since Adam Lind
and Aaron Hill won their awards in 2009.
On November 23, 2010, it was announced that Bautista had finished fourth in the AL MVP voting, behind winner Josh Hamilton, Miguel Cabrera
and Robinson Canó
. Bautista received 165 points in voting, including one first-place vote and four third-place votes. It was the highest share of the votes garnered by a Blue Jay since Delgado finished second (behind Alex Rodriguez
) in 2003.
On November 25, the Blue Jays announced the winners of the 2010 season franchise awards. Bautista won three of the four awards given. The Toronto chapter of the BBWAA named him the Blue Jays' Most Valuable Player in 2010, along with the Blue Jays' Most Improved Player in 2010. He was also given the John Cerutti Award
for displaying "goodwill, cooperation and character".
Bautista began the 2011 season as the starting right fielder for the Blue Jays, after teammate Edwin Encarnacion
took his previous position of third base. On opening day in Toronto, Bautista hit his first home run of the season, the first in a back-to-back with Adam Lind
. He missed the second series of the Blue Jays season, a three game affair against the Oakland Athletics
, due to the birth of his first daughter.
Bautista walked 28 times in the month of April, breaking a club record that was set when Carlos Delgado collected 26 bases on balls in April of 2001. He was also one home run shy of tying Delgado's record of 10 home runs in the month of April. Bautista was unanimously selected for the Honda Blue Jays Player of the Month award, and was also named the AL Player of the Month for the month of April (his third such award in four months, dating back to the 2010 season).
On May 15, Bautista hit 3 home runs against the Minnesota Twins
. It was the first 3 home run game of his career. On May 28, in a home game against the Chicago White Sox
, Bautista hit his 20th home run, a 3 run shot to left field, becoming the first player to reach 20 home runs in 2011 as well as the fastest player to reach 20 home runs (44 games) in Blue Jays franchise history. Bautista won the AL Player of the Month award for May, his fourth such award in five months. He also became the first player to have the highest number of home runs in a single month for five consecutive months since Jimmie Foxx
did so from June 1933 to April 1934. Bautista also won the Honda Player of the Month award for the second month in a row.
On June 23, the Blue Jays announced that Bautista would be playing third base instead of right field for an indefinite period of time. Eric Thames
was recalled from the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
to play the outfield. The rationale behind the switch was to give the team the best combination of hitters and capable fielders in the lineup at once.
Bautista was selected for the 2011 All-Star Game
, receiving an MLB record 7,454,753 votes. At the time of his selection, he led the MLB in home runs (26), walks (70), OBP (.471), slugging percentage (.679), OPS (1.150), times on base (160) and was also in second place for runs scored (64), total bases (182) and extra base hits (41). Bautista became the first Blue Jay in history to lead the league in All-Star voting, the first Blue Jay to be voted in to the All-Star game as a starter since Carlos Delgado
in 2003. American League Captain David Ortiz
selected Bautista to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby
. Bautista hit 4 home runs and was eliminated in the first round.
On July 9, in a game against the Cleveland Indians
, Bautista hit his 30th and 31st home runs of the year, breaking the Blue Jays record for home runs before the All-Star break set by George Bell in 1987, when he hit 29.
On August 5, with the debut of prospect Brett Lawrie
to play third base, Bautista returned to right field. In a game against the Oakland Athletics
on August 20, Bautista walked three times, which brought his season total to 102 walks in 113 games. He is the fastest to reach the 100 walk mark since Barry Bonds
did so in 2007 (in his 115th game), and broke Carlos Delgado's Blue Jay record of fastest to reach 100 walks (Delgado reached 100 walks in his 130th game in 2000).
During a game against the New York Yankees on September 5, Bautista hit his 40th home run of the season, a solo homer off reliever Rafael Soriano
. He became the 2nd player in Blue Jays history to have back to back 40 home run seasons (Carlos Delgado did so in 1999 and 2000). Two games later on September 7, against the Boston Red Sox, Bautista stole home plate on a double steal in which rookie teammate Brett Lawrie
took second base, becoming the first 40 home run hitter to steal home plate since Adam Dunn
completed the rare feat in 2004.
In the final series of the regular season, Bautista walked 4 times against the Chicago White Sox to increase his season total to 132, the highest total by an American League player since Jason Giambi
walked 137 times in 2000, setting a new Blue Jays franchise record, previously held by Carlos Delgado
(with 123 walks in 2000).
Bautista once again led the major leagues in home runs, picking up his second consecutive home run title and becoming the first player to lead in consecutive years since Mark McGwire
did so in 1998 and 1999 (with 70 and 65 home runs respectively). He also led the majors in slugging percentage (.608), OPS (1.056) and walks (132), and led the AL in intentional walks (24). He came in second place for OBP (.447) behind Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. He was named the American League winner of the Hank Aaron Award
for the second consecutive season, becoming just the third player in the award's history, after Alex Rodriguez
and Barry Bonds
, to win the award in back-to-back years.
On November 2, 2011, Bautista was awarded his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award in further recognition of his strong offensive performance in 2011.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Though now primarily a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
, having been a utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
in the past, he has major league experience at six different positions. He is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
In the 2010 season
2010 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 2010 Toronto Blue Jays season was the 34th season of Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays franchise, and the team's 21st full season of play at the Rogers Centre. The 2010 season was the first under general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who replaced J. P...
, Bautista set a Toronto Blue Jays single-season franchise record
Toronto Blue Jays team records
-Individual Blue Jay Career Records:Batting Leaders*Batting Average: .307 - Roberto Alomar*On base percentage: .395 - John Olerud*Slugging percentage: .556 - Carlos Delgado*OPS: .949 - Carlos Delgado...
by hitting a major league leading 54 home runs
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, making him only the 26th member of the 50 home run club
50 home run club
In Major League Baseball, the 50 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 50 or more home runs in a single season. The 50 Home Run Club was "founded" by Babe Ruth in 1920...
in baseball history. He earned the title of American League Home Run Champion for that season. In 2011
2011 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was the 35th season of Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays franchise, and the 22nd full season of play at the Rogers Centre. It was also the first season with John Farrell as the team's manager...
, he once again led the major leagues with 43 home runs. He became the first player to earn two consecutive home run titles since Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
did so in the 1998
1998 Major League Baseball season
*American League Championship Series MVP: David Wells**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Sterling Hitchcock**National League Division Series*All-Star Game, July 7 at Coors Field: American League, 13-8; Roberto Alomar, MVP...
and 1999
1999 Major League Baseball season
The previous record of most home runs hit in a season, set at 5,064 in 1998, was broken once again as the American League and National League combined to hit 5,528 home runs. Moreover, it was the first season in 61 years to feature a team that scored 1,000 runs in a season, as the Cleveland Indians...
seasons.
On July 3, 2011, Bautista set the all-time Major League record for the most All-Star votes received by a single player through fan balloting with 7,454,753 votes. This number greatly surpassed the previous record of 6,069,688 set by Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994
1994 Major League Baseball season
The 1994 Major League Baseball season ended with the infamous players strike ending the season on August 11, 1994.-Strike:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason was played...
.
Major league career
During the 2004 season2004 Major League Baseball season
* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...
, Bautista played for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He was also technically on the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
roster after being acquired from the Royals and dealt to the Pirates the same day. This made him the first and only player to be on five different Major League rosters in one season (more specifically, his rookie season).
Bautista, originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 amateur draft, was selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
, and made his debut with Baltimore on April 4, 2004. He was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay on June 3, then traded to Kansas City on June 28. He was then sent to the Mets on July 30, and without playing a game for New York, was traded back to Pittsburgh.
In 2006, his first full season with the Pirates, Bautista hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.235 with 16 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 51 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. The following season in 2007, he posted similar numbers in 142 games, finishing the season with a batting average of .254, 15 home runs and 63 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
That same year, he became the starting third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He took over for National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez
Freddy Sanchez
Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez has previously played for the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants...
, who moved to second base.
2008
Bautista was to be the Pirates' starting third baseman and backup outfielder in 2008. From June 14 to June 24, Bautista hit five home runs in a span of 9 games against interleague opponents Baltimore, Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Toronto, and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. However, Bautista struggled offensively for most of the year, after the 2008 trade deadline, Bautista lost his starting job to the newly-acquired Andy LaRoche
Andy LaRoche
Andrew Christian LaRoche is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent....
. He was optioned to Triple-A (Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
) on August 13. After performing well in Triple-A, on August 21, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
(Robinzon Diaz
Robinzon Díaz
Robinzon Díaz Henriquez is a catcher for the Texas Rangers organization.-2008 season:...
).
2009
Bautista started the 2009 season on the bench, backing up third baseThird baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
for Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
and the outfield for Alex Ríos
Alex Ríos
Alexis Israel "Alex" Ríos is a Puerto Rican-American Major League Baseball outfielder who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed.-Professional career:...
and Adam Lind
Adam Lind
Adam Alan Lind is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He was drafted in the third round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft and was signed on June 30, 2004. He was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round of...
. When Rios was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox and Adam Lind was assigned the role of designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, Bautista's playing time increased; he became the leadoff hitter
Leadoff hitter
In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in an inning.- Strategy :...
after an injury to Marco Scutaro
Marco Scutaro
Marcos Hernandez "Marco" Scutaro is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. A native of Yaracuy State, Venezuela, Scutaro formerly played with the New York Mets , Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays...
. During this time, his hitting improved. Bautista had a 4 game home run streak snapped on October 3, but the next day hit a solo home run to lead off an inning off Baltimore Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. Bautista finished the 2009 season with 13 HR (10 of which came in the month of September), 40 RBI, a batting average of .235, and 79 hits in 113 games. He re-signed with the Blue Jays on a one-year $2.4 million US contract for the 2010 season.
2010
Bautista began the 2010 campaign as the starting right fielder and leadoff hitter. He hit his first HR of the year against the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
' Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
on April 11. On May 17, Bautista was named AL Player of the Week after hitting .444 (8-for-18) with 20 total bases, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 8 R, .565 OBP, and an MLB-best 1.111 SLG. Bautista hit his 20th home run as part of a 2-HR night against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on June 22. This was a career high for a single season, an achievement he reached in just two months.
On July 4, 2010 Bautista was selected as a reserve for the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star game in Anaheim.
Bautista hit an inside-the-park home run against the Minnesota Twins on July 7, 2010. This was the 28th inside-the-park home run in Blue Jays history and the Jays' first since Greg Myers on September 13, 2005. Despite leading Major League Baseball in home runs before the All-Star festivities in Anaheim, Bautista was denied the opportunity to participate in the Home Run derby, and the last available spot was given to New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
outfielder Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
. In the All-Star game, Bautista entered the game as a pinch runner for Josh Hamilton and finished the game 0–1, in an eventual 3–1 loss for the American League squad.
Bautista hit his major league-leading 30th homer of the year in a 4-for-4, two-home-run outing against the Baltimore Orioles on July 27. Bautista continued his dominant hitting on July 30, when he hit a grand slam off Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, his major league-leading 31st homer of the year, and the second grand slam hit by a Jays batter that season.
For the month of July, Bautista batted .347, with 11 HRs, 29 RBI, and an AL-leading .765 slugging percentage. As a result of his outstanding play in the month of July, he was named co-winner of American League Player of the Month honours (alongside Twins outfielder, Delmon Young
Delmon Young
Delmon Damarcus Young is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He is the younger brother of former major league outfielder and first baseman Dmitri Young. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama.Young is known for having a strong and accurate...
). Bautista was also named Honda July Player of the Month, which is selected through voting by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. With his 11 HRs in July and his 12 in May, Bautista became only the third Blue Jay player in franchise history to have two months with at least 10 home runs, the other two were George Bell in 1987 and Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
who did it in 1997 and 2001.
Bautista was awarded co-winner of the American League player of the week award for the period ending August 1, Bautista hit .545 with five homers and 13 RBIs during that span. With his 35th home run of the season, hit against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
on August 10, Bautista beat a franchise record previously held by Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
for hitting a home run in 11 straight series. On August 26, Bautista hit his 100th career home run against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. Bautista was again awarded player of the week for the week ending August 29. In seven games that week, Bautista led the American League with a .500 batting average (10-for-20). He also hit four home runs and in doing so, Bautista became the only Blue Jays player to ever win the award three times in one season. Bautista won AL Player of the Month for the month of August, in which he hit he led the A.L. in home runs (12), RBI (24), slugging percentage (.724) and total bases (72), while tying for the lead in extra-base hits (18). He finished tied for second with 23 runs and was third with 23 walks. He also won the Honda Player of the Month Award, his second such award in as many months.
On September 15, Bautista tied the Blue Jays single-season home run record (set by George Bell in 1987) by hitting his 47th home run off of Baltimore's Brad Bergesen. Two days later in Boston, Bautista set the new Blue Jays single-season home run record by hitting his 48th home run off of Michael Bowden
Michael Bowden (baseball)
Michael Matthew Bowden is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In , he played for the Lancaster JetHawks and Portland Sea Dogs. He attended high school at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, IL...
. On September 23, Bautista became the 26th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 50-home run mark in a season off Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. Bautista is the first to reach 50 since Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
and Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
did so in 2007. The blast was also Bautista's 31st homer at home this season, breaking Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
's previous Blue Jays record set in 2000 of 30. The following day, Bautista had yet another multi-homerun game, hitting two against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. On September 30, Bautista hit two home runs once again, hitting a grand slam and a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. His 52nd home run set a new MLB record for the largest single-season increase in home runs, eclipsing Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
's 38 home run increase from 1972 to 1973. Bautista finished the 2010 season with 54 home runs, the highest total since Alex Rodriguez hit 54 in 2007.
On October 21, 2010, Bautista underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia that had bothered him since May.
Due to his outstanding offensive performance during the 2010 season, Major League Baseball announced on October 31, 2010 that Bautista had won the American League Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
. He became the second Blue Jay to win the award, after Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
won it in 2000.
On November 11, 2010, it was announced that Bautista had won a Silver Slugger Award for being one of the top hitting outfielders in the American League. He became the 22nd Blue Jay to win the award, and the most recent since Adam Lind
Adam Lind
Adam Alan Lind is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He was drafted in the third round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft and was signed on June 30, 2004. He was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round of...
and Aaron Hill won their awards in 2009.
On November 23, 2010, it was announced that Bautista had finished fourth in the AL MVP voting, behind winner Josh Hamilton, Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera
José Miguel Cabrera Torres nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed....
and Robinson Canó
Robinson Canó
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican baseball player who currently plays as a second baseman for the New York Yankees.-Family and early life:...
. Bautista received 165 points in voting, including one first-place vote and four third-place votes. It was the highest share of the votes garnered by a Blue Jay since Delgado finished second (behind Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
) in 2003.
On November 25, the Blue Jays announced the winners of the 2010 season franchise awards. Bautista won three of the four awards given. The Toronto chapter of the BBWAA named him the Blue Jays' Most Valuable Player in 2010, along with the Blue Jays' Most Improved Player in 2010. He was also given the John Cerutti Award
John Cerutti
John Joseph Cerutti was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and later a broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:...
for displaying "goodwill, cooperation and character".
2011
On February 17, 2011, the Blue Jays announced that Bautista had agreed to a 5-year contract extension worth US$64 million.Bautista began the 2011 season as the starting right fielder for the Blue Jays, after teammate Edwin Encarnacion
Edwin Encarnación
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación , is a Dominican Republic Major League Baseball utility player with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 6 ft 2 in, 235-pound Encarnación bats and throws right-handed....
took his previous position of third base. On opening day in Toronto, Bautista hit his first home run of the season, the first in a back-to-back with Adam Lind
Adam Lind
Adam Alan Lind is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He was drafted in the third round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft and was signed on June 30, 2004. He was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round of...
. He missed the second series of the Blue Jays season, a three game affair against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, due to the birth of his first daughter.
Bautista walked 28 times in the month of April, breaking a club record that was set when Carlos Delgado collected 26 bases on balls in April of 2001. He was also one home run shy of tying Delgado's record of 10 home runs in the month of April. Bautista was unanimously selected for the Honda Blue Jays Player of the Month award, and was also named the AL Player of the Month for the month of April (his third such award in four months, dating back to the 2010 season).
On May 15, Bautista hit 3 home runs against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. It was the first 3 home run game of his career. On May 28, in a home game against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Bautista hit his 20th home run, a 3 run shot to left field, becoming the first player to reach 20 home runs in 2011 as well as the fastest player to reach 20 home runs (44 games) in Blue Jays franchise history. Bautista won the AL Player of the Month award for May, his fourth such award in five months. He also became the first player to have the highest number of home runs in a single month for five consecutive months since Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
did so from June 1933 to April 1934. Bautista also won the Honda Player of the Month award for the second month in a row.
On June 23, the Blue Jays announced that Bautista would be playing third base instead of right field for an indefinite period of time. Eric Thames
Eric Thames
Eric Allyn Thames is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....
was recalled from the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
to play the outfield. The rationale behind the switch was to give the team the best combination of hitters and capable fielders in the lineup at once.
Bautista was selected for the 2011 All-Star Game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
, receiving an MLB record 7,454,753 votes. At the time of his selection, he led the MLB in home runs (26), walks (70), OBP (.471), slugging percentage (.679), OPS (1.150), times on base (160) and was also in second place for runs scored (64), total bases (182) and extra base hits (41). Bautista became the first Blue Jay in history to lead the league in All-Star voting, the first Blue Jay to be voted in to the All-Star game as a starter since Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
in 2003. American League Captain David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
selected Bautista to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
. Bautista hit 4 home runs and was eliminated in the first round.
On July 9, in a game against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Bautista hit his 30th and 31st home runs of the year, breaking the Blue Jays record for home runs before the All-Star break set by George Bell in 1987, when he hit 29.
On August 5, with the debut of prospect Brett Lawrie
Brett Lawrie
Brett R. Lawrie is a Canadian professional baseball third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He was traded to the Blue Jays from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 5, 2010 in a deal for starting pitcher Shaun Marcum...
to play third base, Bautista returned to right field. In a game against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
on August 20, Bautista walked three times, which brought his season total to 102 walks in 113 games. He is the fastest to reach the 100 walk mark since Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
did so in 2007 (in his 115th game), and broke Carlos Delgado's Blue Jay record of fastest to reach 100 walks (Delgado reached 100 walks in his 130th game in 2000).
During a game against the New York Yankees on September 5, Bautista hit his 40th home run of the season, a solo homer off reliever Rafael Soriano
Rafael Soriano
Rafael Soriano is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. He bats and throws right-handed...
. He became the 2nd player in Blue Jays history to have back to back 40 home run seasons (Carlos Delgado did so in 1999 and 2000). Two games later on September 7, against the Boston Red Sox, Bautista stole home plate on a double steal in which rookie teammate Brett Lawrie
Brett Lawrie
Brett R. Lawrie is a Canadian professional baseball third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He was traded to the Blue Jays from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 5, 2010 in a deal for starting pitcher Shaun Marcum...
took second base, becoming the first 40 home run hitter to steal home plate since Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn
Adam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....
completed the rare feat in 2004.
In the final series of the regular season, Bautista walked 4 times against the Chicago White Sox to increase his season total to 132, the highest total by an American League player since Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
walked 137 times in 2000, setting a new Blue Jays franchise record, previously held by Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
(with 123 walks in 2000).
Bautista once again led the major leagues in home runs, picking up his second consecutive home run title and becoming the first player to lead in consecutive years since Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
did so in 1998 and 1999 (with 70 and 65 home runs respectively). He also led the majors in slugging percentage (.608), OPS (1.056) and walks (132), and led the AL in intentional walks (24). He came in second place for OBP (.447) behind Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. He was named the American League winner of the Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
for the second consecutive season, becoming just the third player in the award's history, after Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
and Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
, to win the award in back-to-back years.
On November 2, 2011, Bautista was awarded his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award in further recognition of his strong offensive performance in 2011.