JAWS and the 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot: José Bautista

The next article is a part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing take a look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2024 Corridor of Fame poll. For an in depth introduction to this 12 months’s poll, and different candidates within the collection, use the software above; an introduction to JAWS will be discovered here. For a tentative schedule, see here. All WAR figures confer with the Baseball-Reference model until in any other case indicated.

For a seven-season interval from 2010–16, no person in baseball hit extra dwelling runs than José Bautista. The Blue Jays slugger led the American League in dingers in back-to-back seasons, with 54 in 2010 and 43 a 12 months later, and with these hovering totals started a streak of six straight All-Star choices. Remarkably that run didn’t start till Bautista was in his age-29 season, after he spent a lot of the first six years of his main league profession (2004–09) barely hanging on to a roster spot whereas passing by way of the arms of 5 completely different groups. He turned the web page on that troublesome stretch of his profession due to a swing change, one which prefigured the launch angle revolution that will come into vogue a couple of 12 months later. With it, “Joey Bats” helped drive the Blue Jays again to relevance, an effort capped by some of the memorable postseason dwelling runs of the period.

José Antonio Bautista was born on October 19, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His father, Americo Bautista, was an agricultural engineer who ran a poultry farm whereas his mom, Sandra Bautista, was an accountant and monetary officer. Each had graduate levels, and so theirs was a middle-class household that might afford to ship José and his youthful brother Luis to a non-public Catholic faculty. A superb scholar, José excelled at math and science, and took further lessons to study English starting when he was eight years previous. Within the evenings, he performed baseball with buddies, and although undersized — he was nicknamed “The Rat” as a result of he was small and had large ears — he excelled.

The Diamondbacks and Yankees each confirmed curiosity in signing Bautista, however the former supplied simply $50,000, the latter even much less. Bautista wouldn’t chew. “I bought gives from $5,000 to $50,000,” he told SportsNet’s Stephen Brunt in 2012, “however that’s not one thing that I wished to drop out of faculty for. I used to be able the place $5,000 was simply not going to make it, not solely as a result of I didn’t want the cash however as a result of I valued my training at a better quantity than that.”

Bautista accepted a $300,000 provide from the Reds, nevertheless it was withdrawn when Marge Schott offered the franchise to Carl Lindner in 1999. A person named Oscar Pérez, whom Bautista knew from one in all his youth leagues, related him to a program within the U.S. referred to as the Latin Athletes Training Fund, for gamers from Latin America aspiring to play school baseball within the U.S. Bautista landed a spot at Chipola School, a junior school in Marianna, Florida. After one 12 months, he was draft-eligible, and the Pirates chosen him within the twentieth spherical, however they solely supplied him a small bonus, and so he turned it down and returned to Chipola. Future Blue Jays teammate Russell Martin, who was drafted out of highschool by the Expos within the thirty fifth spherical in 2000, joined him as a teammate.

At Chipola, Bautista pitched in addition to hit, rising to 6 toes and 190 kilos and rising his energy sufficient to throw 95 mph. He gained Florida Junior School Participant of the 12 months honors, helped his group win the Panhandle Convention championship, and took an emergency begin within the state event when the scheduled starter went down. Although his pitch depend wasn’t constructed up, he threw a complete-game victory and gained MVP honors. The Pirates, who nonetheless retained his rights, supplied him $500,000 to sign up Might 2001 and he accepted.

The 20-year-old Bautista started his skilled profession at Low-A Williamsport, hitting .286/.364/.427 with 5 homers in 62 video games whereas taking part in primarily at third base, then .301/.402/.470 with 14 homers in 129 video games at A-level Hickory; he helped each groups win league championships. A fractured proper hand, suffered when he punched a rubbish can after putting out, restricted him to 58 video games in 2003.

Even supposing Bautista had by no means performed above Excessive-A, the Orioles selected him within the Rule 5 draft in December 2003. This meant that he needed to spend your entire season on the foremost league membership’s roster (or what was then the disabled record) or be placed on waivers and, if cleared, supplied again to the Pirates for half the $50,000 draft worth. Thus the 23-year-old Bautista’s 2004 season was an odyssey. He made his main league debut on Opening Day, April 4, pinch-running for David Segui and scoring a run in opposition to the Pink Sox. Three days later, he collected his first hit, a pinch-single off Boston’s Ramiro Mendoza, however he made simply 12 plate appearances unfold over 16 video games throughout the season’s first two months earlier than the Orioles positioned him on waivers. The Satan Rays claimed him, however he didn’t even make it till the tip of June earlier than being offered to the Royals. They saved him for simply over a month earlier than dealing him to the Mets, who instantly flipped him again to the Pirates in a deal that despatched Kris Benson and Jeff Keppinger to Queens. Bautista was an afterthought in Pittsburgh, simply as he was in all places else. The sum whole of his season was 64 video games performed, however he accrued simply 96 plate appearances and posted a .205/.263/.239 line.

Understandably, the Pirates despatched Bautista to the minors for many of 2005. He hit .280/.359/.490 with 24 homers in 117 video games at Double-A Altoona and 13 at Triple-A Indianapolis, then went 4-for-28 in a cup of espresso with the large membership within the second half of September. He returned to Indianapolis to start out the 2006 season, was recalled in Might, and hit a decent .235/.335/.420 (94 OPS+) with 16 homers in 469 PA in a utility function. His first main league homer got here in opposition to the Marlins’ Scott Olsen on Might 13, 2006.

Sadly, brutal protection offset Bautista’s modest work with the bat; he had -8 DRS in simply 33 video games at third base and -9 DRS in 57 video games in heart subject en path to a web -1.1 WAR. He was beneath alternative stage once more in 142 video games in 2007, 126 of them at third base (-18 DRS). After about three-quarters of one other replacement-level season for the Pirates, he misplaced his third base job to Andy LaRoche. On August 21, 2008, he was traded to the Blue Jays for a participant to be named later (catcher Robinzon Diaz). By the tip of the season, he owned a profession batting line of .239/.325/.398 (89 OPS+) with 46 homers and -2.9 WAR in 1,634 PA.

With the assistance of Blue Jays supervisor Cito Gaston and hitting coaches Gene Tenace and Dwayne Murphy, Bautista tweaked his mechanics and strategy, shortening his swing in order to not get routinely overwhelmed on fastballs on the interior half of the plate. The modifications didn’t make him an in a single day success, however he started hitting the ball within the air with larger regularity, and minimize down his strikeout charge. He hit simply three homers in 279 PA by way of the tip of August, however Gaston had taken a shine to him.

“He was keen to play wherever for you,” Gaston informed Brunt. “He by no means bitched or cried about not taking part in. He’s probably the most coachable child I’ve ever been round in my life.”

On August 10, the Blue Jays put proper fielder Alex Rios on waivers although he wasn’t even a full season into his new seven-year, $69.8 million extension; he was claimed by the White Sox, who assumed the rest of his contract. The transfer opened up taking part in time within the outfield for Bautista, who rewarded the Blue Jays’ religion by bashing 10 homers in 125 PA in September and October, hitting .257/.339/.606 for the month and ending at .235/.349/.408 (99 OPS+) with 1.8 WAR.

He was on to one thing, and whereas he began slowly in 2010, he heated up and broke out in a serious method. Pulling the ball within the air with larger regularity, Bautista homered 12 instances apiece in Might and August, and 11 instances apiece in July and September/October.

“Should you take a look at his swing from Pittsburgh to now, and even from the start of final 12 months, you’ll see a distinction in his swing path,” Murphy told the New York Occasions‘ Pat Borzi late within the season. “His bat goes by way of the zone as an alternative of out and in of the zone… Earlier than, he was unable to get to the ball middle-in. Now he can hit the pitch inside.”

Bautista’s 54 homers didn’t simply lead the league, he set a franchise document, besting the 47 hit by George Bell in his MVP-winning 1987 season. Bautista accompanied that with a .260/.378/.617 line, and made his first of six straight All-Star groups. His 351 whole bases led the league as nicely, whereas his 100 walks ranked second, his SLG and 164 OPS+ third, his 7.0 WAR seventh; his protection, each in proper subject (113 video games) and at third base (48 video games), was a lot improved. He completed fourth within the AL MVP voting, however sadly, the Blue Jays completed fourth within the AL East for the third of 5 straight seasons. Gaston retired and was changed by John Farrell.

After signing a five-year, $65 million extension in February 2011, Bautista confirmed that his breakout was no fluke by hitting .302/.447/.608. His slugging proportion, 182 OPS+, 43 homers, and 132 walks (24 of them intentional) all led the league, whereas his OBP and eight.3 WAR each ranked second. He was voted to start out the All-Star Recreation in proper subject for the primary of 4 straight seasons, and completed an in depth third within the MVP voting behind Justin Verlander and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Whereas the Blue Jays helped Edwin Encarnación, one other reclamation challenge, emerge as a first-rate slugger and whole 78 homers in 2012 and ’13, accidents took a big chew out of Bautista’s taking part in time in these years, limiting him to a complete of 210 video games and ending each seasons prematurely. On the All-Star break in 2012, he was tied with Josh Hamilton for the AL lead with 27 homers, however he performed in simply simply two video games after the break as a result of an unstable tendon in his left wrist that required surgical procedure. He completed with a 138 OPS+ and three.8 WAR in 92 video games, whereas the Blue Jays, who had gone 43-43 within the first half, pancaked to 30-46 the remainder of the best way. A bone bruise in Bautista’s left hip price him the final six weeks of the 2013 season, throughout which he hit 28 homers to go together with a 132 OPS+ and 4.5 WAR; in the meantime, the Blue Jays sputtered to 74 wins in John Gibbons‘ return as supervisor after a 4 and half 12 months hiatus.

With a wholesome Bautista alongside Encarnación, the Blue Jays improved to 83 wins in 2014. The now-33-year-old proper fielder turned in a season a lot nearer in high quality to his 2010-11 ones by hitting .286/.403/.524 and rating second in OBP and walks (104), fourth in OPS+ (162) and WAR (6.9), and fifth in homers (35).

Within the winter of 2014–15, the Blue Jays reunited Bautista and Martin, signing the latter to a five-year, $82 million deal and buying and selling for third baseman Josh Donaldson. Each have been transformative figures; Donaldson would hit 41 homers with 7.1 WAR en path to AL MVP honors, whereas Martin would shepherd the pitching workers to the league’s fifth-lowest whole of runs allowed whereas including 4.5 fWAR (together with framing). Bautista, for his half, hit .250/.377/.536 (145 OPS+) with 40 homers and 4.8 WAR, whereas Encarnación added 39 homers and 4.9 WAR. Buoyed by the deadline addition of David Price in a commerce from the Tigers, the Blue Jays went 93-69 and gained the AL East.

Of their first postseason collection since successful the 1993 World Collection, the Blue Jays fell behind two video games to none in opposition to the Rangers regardless of taking part in at dwelling; Bautista’s solo homer off Keone Kela in Recreation 1 went for naught. The Jays gained the subsequent two video games in Texas, nevertheless, returning the collection to Toronto for Recreation 5. Bautista’s RBI double off Cole Hamels within the third inning minimize right into a 2-0 deficit. The rating was tied 2-2 when the seventh inning started, one of the wildest postseason innings in current reminiscence. The Rangers retook the lead when Rougned Odor scored after Martin’s throw again to pitcher Aaron Sanchez deflected off Shin-Soo Choo’s bat. Within the backside of the seventh, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs when the Rangers protection fell aside. Martin reached on a bobble by shortstop Elvis Andrus, and Kevin Pillar bought on due to a nasty throw to second by first baseman Mitch Moreland in an try to start out a double play. Ryan Goins bunted, and Adrián Beltré fielded it and spun; his throw to Andrus at third base beat Dalton Pompey, who had pinch-run for Martin, however Andrus dropped the ball. Pompey was pressured out on the plate on a Ben Revere grounder, however Pillar scored the tying run when Donaldson’s pop fly eluded Odor.

Sam Dyson had taken over for Hamels when Donaldson got here up, and the Blue Jays had nonetheless made only one out. Bautista stepped in, and on a 1-1 depend, completely annihilated a 97-mph fastball, sending it 452 toes into the second deck in left-center. He punctuated the shot with probably the most iconic bat flip in main league historical past as pandemonium erupted within the Rogers Centre. That three-run homer proved decisive.

Bautista saved going, driving in runs in two Blue Jays victories within the ALCS in opposition to the Royals. In Recreation 6, with Toronto trailing three video games to 2 in Kansas Metropolis, he hit a solo homer off Yordano Ventura within the fourth inning to chop a 2-0 lead in half, then added a game-tying two-run shot off Ryan Madson within the eighth. Alas, the Royals broke the tie within the backside of the eighth when Lorenzo Cain raced dwelling from first base on Eric Hosmer’s single; the sport ended with two males in scoring place and Bautista on deck as Donaldson grounded out.

The Blue Jays picked up Bautista’s $14 million possibility for 2016 after the season. On Might 15 in opposition to the Rangers — who have been nonetheless steamed by Bautista’s bat flip — Bautista took out Odor with a tough slide into second base to interrupt up a double play, inflicting a throwing error. Odor took umbrage, shoving Bautista after which touchdown a proper hook to his face, adopted by a glove punch to his left shoulder. Benches cleared, with each events and 6 others ejected. Odor drew a $5,000 wonderful and a suspension for eight video games (lowered to seven on enchantment), Bautista for one; in all, 14 gamers and staffers have been disciplined.

The Blue Jays misplaced that brawl sport to fall to 19-20, however they finally turned their season round, successful 89 video games and returning to the playoffs by way of a Wild Card berth. Bautista, nevertheless, slipped to 27 homers, a 118 OPS+, and 1.8 WAR whereas taking part in simply 118 video games, lacking time as a result of large toe and knee sprains. He hit a second-inning solo homer off the Orioles’ Chris Tillman within the Wild Card Recreation (gained in 11 on Encarnación’s three-run homer), then added an RBI single off Hamels and a three-run homer off Jake Diekman in Recreation 1 of a Division Collection rematch with the Rangers. The Blue Jays gained by way of a sweep, however fell to Cleveland in a five-game ALCS, with Bautista going 3-for-18 with out an RBI.

Whereas Bautista rejected the Blue Jays’ $17.2 million qualifying provide, his free company didn’t drum up a ton of curiosity on condition that he had simply turned 36 and was coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued season. It turned out that the Rangers weren’t the one group with a detrimental impression of him, both. Orioles GM Dan Duquette told the Baltimore Solar’s Eduardo A. Encina that he informed Bautista’s agent, “José is a villain in Baltimore and I’m not going to go inform our followers that we’re courting José Bautista for the Orioles as a result of they’re not going to be pleased.’” Encina cited Bautista’s historical past of “exaggerated at-bats, lengthy stares at strike calls, flipping his bat down after drawing walks and staring down of opposing pitchers” as issues that raised the ire of Orioles gamers and their followers. Left unsaid was that the Orioles have been one of many groups that failed to assist Bautista attain his potential 12 years earlier.

Cleveland confirmed some curiosity, however in the end Bautista returned to the Blue Jays with a one-year, $18.5 million deal that included a mutual possibility for 2018 and a membership possibility for ’19 that might vest. Although he was wholesome sufficient to play 157 video games in 2019, the second-highest whole of his profession, his efficiency collapsed; he hit .203/.308/.366 (79 OPS+) with 23 homers, a career-high 24.8% strikeout charge, and -1.2 WAR. For the Blue Jays, declining their finish of the mutual possibility was a no brainer. Even so, on the ultimate day of the season, when Gibbons pulled him within the ninth inning, he acquired hugs from his teammates and a rousing ovation from the Rogers Centre followers as he exited, a thanks for all that he had meant to Toronto baseball.

As a free agent whose pattern arrows have been unmistakably pointing within the unsuitable path, Bautista wasn’t precisely a scorching commodity heading into 2018. He declined low-paying main league gives (the Angels, Mariners, and Rangers, of all groups, have been said to be interested), however lastly accepted a minor league cope with the Braves on April 18. After 12 video games within the minors, he performed simply 12 video games for Atlanta, going 5-for-35 earlier than being launched on Might 20. Two days later, he signed with the Mets, who have been busy going nowhere with a roster that included the ultimate stops of Adrián González and José Reyes, each of whom are on this poll as nicely. Bautista confirmed some indicators of life, hitting .204/.351/.367 (102 OPS+) in 302 PA, sufficient that the Phillies traded for him in a waiver deal on August 28. He carried out respectably (.244/.404/.467 in 57 PA), however an 8-20 September skid left the Phillies outdoors the Wild Card image.

Although Bautista mentioned late within the 12 months that he wished to proceed his profession, he didn’t obtain any gives. In March 2020, whereas figuring out with the Dominican Republic nationwide group because it ready for a event to qualify for the Summer time Olympics, he floated the prospect of a comeback try as a two-way participant to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Olympics and that bid, however Bautista not solely helped the Dominican Republic qualify in June 2021, he performed within the Olympics in Tokyo, throwing a runner out on the plate in opposition to Mexico, hitting a walk-off single that eradicated Israel, and in the end successful a Bronze Medal. On August 11, 2023, Bautista signed a one-day contract with the Blue Jays and formally retired.

When it comes to each conventional and superior statistics, Bautista doesn’t have the numbers for Cooperstown. That mentioned, for some time he was probably the greatest. His 249 homers from 2010–16 was 12 greater than every other participant:

Equally, Bautista’s 39.4 WAR from the 2009–16 span ranked 10th amongst all place gamers. Outdoors of that window, he had web detrimental WAR, however that run in Toronto earned him a spot within the hearts of Blue Jays followers and left its mark throughout baseball.