Jose Bautista was One of the Worst Players Ever...Then he Became a Monster.

[@srsmatt7272]

Wanted to point out a pretty big error. The WAR total I referenced through Bautista’s age 27 season combines his offensive and defensive WAR. So that metric doesn’t make him one of the worst hitters ever, but rather one of the worst players ever. This doesn’t change much about the video though so enjoy it all the same. Thanks for the support!

[@Flexb123]

@@comedychrises Gimme a break, there was ton worse players, most of them though didn't get to hang around the MLB level long enough! LOL

[@chuifongtam4703]

I think steroids played a role here. How could somebody improve that quickly?

[@chuifongtam4703]

Matt you barely talked about performance enhancement drugs. It was very likely Jose was taking drugs given how quickly he improved. Of course there is a chance he didn't and just improved because of coaching + changing his swing but we will never know if it's legit or not due to drug use at the time.

[@definitelynotboobieclub]

@@Flexb123 Well, the stat of course is the worst players* *that at least qualify So it's more like, you're the best of the worst; you aren't bad enough to wash out quickly… but you also aren't very good. Still making money though.

[@interabie]

Couple more crazy facts: 1) the grand slam at 13:14 was his 1st career walk off 2) i heard it was Vernon wells that advised him to start his leg kick earlier, this changing his career forever!

[@MLB]

Most legendary homer ever

[@mjonji1281]

Oh, hey.

[@Fredupwithu]

Funny seeing you here.

[@richardrobertson2485]

you think so too?

[@slimjimmypage]

Hell yeah we love aggression!

[@plasmaduck3563]

you come here often?

[@lepoulet88]

One of the most impactful player for baseball in Canada. The 2015 playoff run and his bat flip had the whole country turning its eyes towards baseball, to a level I'd never seen before.

[@ckendall67]

That 'Bat Flip' HR, when that happened, I swear I had an out-of-body experience at that moment. ;-) Also, I think the whole country of Canada literally felt the ground moving when it happened too. ;-)

[@banditski]

I love Joey Bats, I was at the game when he flipped his bat, but I'm guessing you aren't old enough to remember the early 90s Jays if you think Canada's eyes on the Jays in 2015 was unique. It was just as awesome and crazy then. With a L-O-N-G drought in between those two times.

[@sethtate2079]

Joe Carter would like a word with you....

[@chris25128]

It was a big moment for modern blue jays fans for sure I loved e watching the 2015 play offs again

[@williamkeffer8234]

@@sethtate2079 don't ever mention that name again. Please. I beg you.

[@rjfahey]

The swing mechanics side by side was really insightful

[@c_turfgrass7773]

Not!

[@jameslourenco8404]

Mechanics is the subject of your sentence so they WERE really insightful lol

[@oljimeagle]

Bautista says himself that the change in Toronto was mechanical. He added the high step to help him transition his weight forward and get better timing. You can actually see it in the side by side.. It's the most drastic change.

[@rjfahey]

@@jameslourenco8404 weird comment, but actually i think the side-by-side graphic was the subject and therefore singular is correct. Grammar ain't my strong suit though 🙃

[@PensFan35]

As someone who only casually consumes baseball these days (pirate fan, can’t afford to get invested these days) it was eye opening

[@MikeJr9284]

Joey Bats was a beast in Toronto and only in Toronto.

[@ChimpityChoo]

Nothing wrong with that

[@Roller11111]

I believe the first year he went off and hit something like 56 home runs, he didn't play the full season and apparently was playing hurt for some of it. Fully healthy he may have caught the Maris mark of 61.... The non juiced record.

[@noah_that_bills_fan1613]

69 likes

[@justinr6439]

Wasnt there a scandal with the blue Jays having someone steal pitch signals while he was having these monster seasons?

[@TheBeakersDream]

@@justinr6439 It was an allegation but never actually proven as it the "Man in White" would have been unable to see the signs where he was sitting

[@krazyklue6255]

“He was traded for a player to be named later” To this day, that player still hasn’t been named

[@supervision4137]

Childish Cheeto for real

[@ckendall67]

I actually had to look it up...it was Robinson Diaz. So there's that. ;-)

[@JWex-jy7sk]

@ckendall67 Yep! Smartest trade in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates right there. Or maybe more like the most typical Pittsburgh Pirates trade of all time...

[@mauriciomovilla3701]

1997 Mtw he probably wouldn’t have done as good because it was the jays hitting coach taht helped him

[@JonPITBZN]

@@ckendall67, wrong! It was Robinzon Diaz. (I'm a Pirates fan, so I actually remember the name.)

[@PhoctorDill]

“Broke his hand punching a garbage can” lol I didnt know he played for the astros

[@Karmy.]

Oof

[@ryushimahara290]

ahhhh gotem

[@Pablo-xy3lo]

Im an Astro fan and thats FUNNY

[@MichaelScott-es5gy]

AYEEE

[@bigclive4714]

This is the greatest comment of all time

[@bunt2462]

The Jose Bautista batflip is one of the best moments in baseball history

[@josewmeldondo]

Best batflip ever. Hands down.

[@MorganBurton]

As a diehard Jays fans it's really hard to gauge how big it was outside of Canada. Is it close to the Kirk Gibson fist pump PH WS HR?

[@gabriels3706]

Morgan Burton it’s an absolutely legendary hit, from the home run that won the game to the announcing to the batflip to the fallout, everything about it is classic

[@ClydeSherburger]

nah lol

[@rodneyhall3991]

The best all time bat flip

[@AllDayBlueJays]

Joey Bats is a legend here in Toronto! He had an underrated cannon-arm out in RF too.

[@ckendall67]

Still remember that play vs the Yankees where Bautista threw out the runner at 3rd, what a play that was!

[@mauriciomovilla3701]

I don’t think it was undeniable think it was properly rated cuz I thought it was a hell of an arm

[@keithfoley3360]

He was still an ahole

[@SparklingHarmony]

I remember when Bautista threw out Billy Butler at 1st and robbed him of a base hit.... that was really cool haha.

[@martinhoude3518]

@@SparklingHarmony And Encarnacion's reaction there. Pointing at the ump: hey, did you see that?

[@MrImpossible86]

The bat flip home run was such a great moment, not just because of the hit itself, but the moment in the game. Jay's had just been screwed a couple innings prior, the Homer clinched the comeback. The camera was shaking from the stadium noise. What an epic moment. That game needs a whole episode.

[@MrSprigg]

They hadn't been screwed; the call (which was in the top of the 7th, not a couple of innings earlier) was correct according to the rules. Choo's bat wasn't deliberately in the way of Martin's throw. The ball was in play, and Odor had every right to run. It was that weird play in the top of the inning that made the bottom half so beautiful. And of course...bat flip, the ultimate moment.

[@bobabooey4537]

Ya dude... thats why the bat flip happened..... because of that moment in the game lol.

[@LKeet6]

some pretty big factual errors in this statement...

[@jasonandrews1770]

@@MrSprigg except the umps called dead ball so the defence stopped moving which gave texas the run. Thats why they got screwed

[@MrSprigg]

@@jasonandrews1770 Whether the ump called it dead or not, there was absolutely zero chance of the defense getting that ball to home plate in time to get the runner out. It would have been like a surprise suicide squeeze play with the infield playing on the outfield grass. Regardless, it worked out in the end as Elvis Andrus forgot how to play shortstop for about ten minutes.

[@BaseballQuotes1]

Mechanically Bautista has always been criticized for this leg kick, which in reality was just his timing mechanism. His fast hands and explosive hips, combined with finally getting comfortable with his timing, pushed him from a nobody into one of the most feared home run hitters of the 2010's

[@bombkita]

No, that’s how you swing a bat lol, without that leg kick he wouldn’t have half the power in his swing.

[@evskiicf3998]

a a there are plenty of players with very small leg kicks that have more power than him. Aaron judge, mike trout, Giancarlo Stanton. All have very small leg kicks. You don’t get power from a leg kick. You get power by being able to create rotational energy from the ground up. The big leg kick actually does very little to do that. It’s mainly about your back leg/hip. Not your front leg. The front leg is actually more of a post to swing around. Look at the front leg as a tether ball pole and the back leg/hip as the ball swinging around the pole, all the energy comes from the tether ball, the pole just gives it something to rotate around. Leg kicks are about timing as the OP stated.I suggest looking into some body mechanics. I went to college for kinesiology and have coached hitting for years. The way the human body works with itself is all you need to know to see you’re wrong.

[@evskiicf3998]

You’re correct about the timing, the other person that commented doesn’t know much about baseball swings. Sounds like something a dad that knows nothing would tell his 5 year old. “The bigger the leg kick you have the farther you’ll hit it son! And squish that bug!” Please don’t “squish the bug” folks.

[@justinr6439]

It didn't have anything to do with the pitch sign stealing while he was there?

[@chloehennessey6813]

Escanor Pride Please come work with me on my swing for fast pitch

[@MorganBurton]

Great job. He's a legend up north. Fave quote on Odor punch: "I was pretty surprised," Bautista said. "I mean, obviously, that’s the only reason that he got me and he got me pretty good, so I have to give him that. It takes a little bit bigger man to knock me down."

[@ckendall67]

The Jays got their revenge on Odor and the Rangers later on in October that year. :-)

[@banditski]

@@ckendall67 'Would rather get punched in May than knocked out in October'

[@setaside2]

My favorite quote re: the Odor punch: "Odor is now two for five, today."

[@idunno500]

@@banditski The Jays still got knocked out in October :p, funny part is .... it was Bautista little 360 throw that cost them too LMFAO

[@williaminnes1563]

@@idunno500 got a link for that clip?

[@CooperHernick]

I'm so happy that you guys finally are doing other blue jay video.

[@EZnation100]

That 2010 season is what got me into baseball. I'm forever grateful for Bautista for getting into the sport I love. Hope he signs a 1 day contract (something a bit like Ichiro) with the Jay's so he can have a proper send off for his career. What a legend!

[@nineg9963]

Don't know if your reading this but he end up doing exactly that!

[@EZnation100]

@nineg9963 howdy! I was lucky enough to be at the game they put him on the level of excellence! First game since 2019! May or may not have shed a tear or two ;)

[@barryeiseman7016]

I met Bautista once and he told us during his 50+ home run year he was randomly drug tested 17 times

[@lukaz3336]

And never tested positive, beast.

[@christians218]

I'm so glad I got to watch him on the Jays for his career peak.! I wish we gave him a tribute farewell and the skydome field was filled with everyone's hats and a standing ovation! He brought baseball back to this city!

[@dylanharnettmarshall9700]

He actually was good for the Phillies in 27 games in 2018: 133 OPS+ .404 OBP .467 SLG (Baseball reference)

[@dylanp2921]

Watching this makes me realize how much I miss baseball. Living in Australia it’s a very minor league sport here. Double A at best. No TV broadcast deal. Only a few teams. I spent one summer in Canada over 30 years ago and have been in love with the game ever since. 2020 sure sucks for sport.

[@darwn977]

He went from Joey to Joey Bats to Joey Batflip to Joey Legend back to Joey and onto to Joey sunset. I’m just glad he spent his best seasons with the Joey Jays.

[@f1shst1ck]

Why on Earth did Ellsbury finish above him in MVP in 2011? Verlander basically had it locked down but seriously? Bautista was better on pretty much every category except average and stolen bases. A 30 HR 30 SB season is cool but not at the cost of way better OPS, and Slugging, as well as a 182 OPS+ not to mention the walks.

[@Mjkhh]

I don’t want to be some conspiracy nut, but probably because Ellsbury played in Boston and Bautista Toronto.

[@f1shst1ck]

@@Mjkhh I'm a Jays fan from Buffalo and part of that means I always have to put up with my dad the Yankees fan saying Boston gets too much national love lol

[@randymartin1727]

Bautista was a better hitter that season for sure, but Ellsbury far surpassed him at baserunning and fielding.

[@Flexb123]

@@randymartin1727 They both had an 8.3 war. So the edge ellisbury had in defense and baserunning was equaled with Bautista's historic offensive season. . But IMO Verlander shouldn't have gotten the MVP. I don't care, a guy who only plays in 20% of the teams games isn't as important as a guy that plays in 90-100% of the games.

[@gabrielrockman]

Bautista was the better hitter, but Ellsbury was the better player. Defense is important. Ellsbury was much better on defense than Bautista.

[@dkroll92]

Bautista prime years, 2010-2015: .268/.390/.555. 156 OPS+. Averaged 38 homers and 96 walks per season despite playing only 138 games on average (hurt in 2012).

[@rowdybeast0809]

Hurt in 2013 as well. I'm a strong believer that if his 2012 and 2013 injuries did not happen, he couldve boosted his runs and RBIs to 100+

[@futuregohan4837]

@@rowdybeast0809 Hell Bautista Would've Had 60 Homers And 58 Homers In 2012 And 2013

[@ryansoltner5229]

hey cmon now he had an 870 ops with the phillies give him some credit.

[@Flexb123]

Yea and a .350 OBP approx.

[@chuifongtam4703]

Steroids..

[@chuifongtam4703]

@Hamish Tiltman I love Bautista and I'm a huge blue Jay's fan but you do have to wonder how he suddenly got so much better when he left philly

[@colinmckendrick9803]

Was just going to say the same. He actually had an ok final season hr walk and rbi wise considering how many at bats he had

[@PoliticallyAffiliated]

Chui Fong Tam I guess you didn’t watch the video you’re commenting on. Smh. The power was always there. He changed his approach, to be prepared to swing, sooner.

[@chrisragona3945]

Hey thank you very much for this. Being A Toronto native and A Jay fan this was awesome.

[@BroadswordMedia]

That most certainly is one crazy career. This honestly goes to show how great is to have a great coach. He taught them to change his timing at the plate and then he became an All-Star.

[@dudelebowski483]

Dwayne Murphy is the reason Rickey Henderson has the SB record. I remember watching the A’s back in the day

[@Jekyll_Island_Creatures]

@@dudelebowski483 Is there a video on that?

[@KaShHnPrYzUiS]

It’s also good to mention he had an amazing month of September in 2009 which led into his 2010 season where u can see his swing developing, but great video, nice to see some Bautista love

[@kf4744]

Canadians who watched him play here will never forget him.

[@winstonw2020]

Just from watching the video, you can see the change in his hitting mechanics when he was in Toronto. As someone who has always lived in Toronto, he has heart and that Texas homer is legendary. Joey Bats will always have a place in Toronto !

[@ltakethefatlplease.3380]

He took a punch to the jaw from Odor like a champ. One of my favorite players to play for the Jays.

[@wbdrugstrat]

Great story. I was wondering about his career a few days ago, and am now looking at his stats. He was a great team leader that always developed a strong culture between the club and the community. I still remember his great outfield play, and that arm shooting down base runners is unforgettable. A Toronto legend.

[@Ekhuu05]

as a blue jays fan, I thank you with all my heart

[@koppy82]

ikr finally Jay's get some attention

[@psuley1977]

Tremendous video. Great trip down memory lane. I get what you're saying about being the Canadian The Show cover athlete, but it's less of an honour when you realize Marcus Stroman and Demar Derozen have been Canadian sports game cover athlete's too.

[@brandonw6139]

Nothing like living in Toronto from 2014 to 2016 watching baseball in the city was amazing

[@kermitfrog593]

Entire city in jays uniforms during home games. Was fun times.

[@karlt1327]

You forgot to mention the craziest part about his last days in Toronto. He turned down a 3 year/50 million deal after his age 35 season because he said "he's done giving discounts" and instead wanted 125 million over 5 years. The jays intelligently declined and signed him to that 1 year deal instead. Jose lost out on about 30 million by being greedy and instead bounced around the league on minor league deals while souring his relationship with the Jays organization.

[@KolossusB]

Yeah was definitely over selling his worth at that point. At 35 as an athlete if you're getting an offer of 50 million over 3 years you take that. Very few sporting teams are willing to offer a senior statesman like that, that much money guaranteed as the chances you just plummet in performance at those ages go way up.

[@bufnyfan1]

Bautista said he wanted "$150 over 5 years" and that the Blue Jays know this and there is no need to negotiate it as that was his final demand. Then he went on the open market and basically, nobody wanted him (although the Orioles considered signing him but feared the backlash in Baltimore would be too great so they declined)

[@EzioAuditore]

the turning point of his career was the power boost from growing a full beard

[@TheBeakersDream]

Sneaking in a Vladdy Jr homerun like we wouldn't notice

[@supervision4137]

1768matthew yah

[@andrewgj1134]

Where doe

[@TheBeakersDream]

@@andrewgj1134 7:10 Its a classic Vladdy Jr golf swing, and you can tell with the hair of the player

[@tylerstevens1904]

Nice catch.

[@yvngtay4970]

I didn’t notice😂

[@mcq_edits]

really well made video even tho as a ranger fan it hurts me in every way watching that homer... it was still insane

[@Arden2000]

People forget how good his 5-6 year peak was. If he were even an average player for the rest of his career he'd be HOF caliber

[@jamesnewbury6354]

no

[@insaini87]

If he figured it out a couple years earlier

[@JRDuran1994]

He might not be a hall of gamer but I’m pretty sure he will be remembered more than half of those guys that got into the hall. Joey bats is a legend

[@davet2459]

@@JRDuran1994 It's not so far-fetched. He had the 2 biggest things they look for in a hall-of-famer (the peak and the signature moment). Any kind of counting stats too add on would have made it far closer than most people realize.

[@jmac1851]

WOAH! I JUST LOOKED UP HIS BAT FLIP LITERALLY 1 MINUTE AGO FOR GOOD MEMORIES. What a coincidence.

[@BroadswordMedia]

Coincidence? This video probably was recommended to you because you watched that video. KZbin algorithm.

[@jmac1851]

@@BroadswordMedia I know but it was a coincidence that he made the video at the exact same moment.

[@BroadswordMedia]

@@jmac1851 Yeah. It's like your mind was in sync with the timing of his.

[@jmac1851]

@@BroadswordMedia Yeah lmao.

[@landonlombardi5819]

right after watching this i just went on twitter for the first time in a year and i noticed that he follows me on twitter lol. idk what’s weirder, the fact that he follows me or the fact that i realized after watching this

[@RoseCityRebel]

Jose Bautista was one of my childhood heroes. When his final game as a Blue Jay ended, I broke down into tears, first athlete to make me do so..

[@michaeltavares7190]

Donaldson, Edwin and Jose was a scary line up back then

[@layke3299]

As a ranger fan I will enjoy seeing everyone argue in the comments while I know my team is mediocre and that’s it

[@piersonthorburn830]

As a Jay's fan I hope one day our two franchises can come together to marvel at that homerun and the punch which came after it

[@rodprops]

@@piersonthorburn830 I KNEW A RANGERS FAN WAS GONNA MENTION THAT PUNCH, THAT HAPPENED IN TEXAS! 😂😂

[@rodprops]

@@boblobdobhobrob8649 fan*

[@Dm-dw3tr]

Mariners fan checking in.

[@AllDayBlueJays]

@@rodprops pierson thorburn is a Jays fan...

[@OThePestO]

As a Leafs fan, it was so nice to watch Jose and the Jays in summer, it brought me so many happy moments!

[@NormAppleton]

Why is being a Leafs fan relevant?

[@kidsperspectivefamilytrave9184]

Loved watching Bautista play with the Jays. He was such an amazing hitter.

[@prodet313]

My favorite mlb player of all time, that bat flip in the alds is one of my favorite blue jays moments of all time, i’m glad I got to see him play in real life before he retired.

[@runningthor1999]

I remember being a Pirates fan in ‘07, thinking this dude was as mediocre as they come. Fast forward a few years and I’d lost track of him, but this dude with the same name up in Toronto was doing crazy things. Took a while to find out it was the same Jose. Crazy career change

[@ShaeTheConqueror1]

Not sure if he’ll play this year or next year, but his career is nothing short of remarkable and commendable. That’s what makes him a legend. Even when so many teams and front offices gave up on him, he never gave up on himself. He’s a HOFer in my book.

[@andreww4531]

I miss Bau so much! His impact in Canadian baseball can't be overstated

[@Leafgreen1976]

As a Jay's fan, he was always snubbed for awards imo.

[@ChimpityChoo]

Yeah, that big 54 HR season, I believe he wasn't even invited to the HRD

[@thecaynuck4694]

Should've won over Verlander and Ellsbury. Verlander could've settled for a Cy Young, and Bautista was leading in home runs and sabermetrics I consider more important than what Ellsbury had in terms of WAR. For example, WOBA and wrc+, two overlooked stats that are very reliable and accurate.

[@jamesnewbury6354]

@@thecaynuck4694 but Ellsbury make a birthday cake go shitted in my pants

[@DoBap_]

J Blauv he eventually captained the American league team multiple times

[@philipwebb960]

Wrong. He won the A**hole of the Year award several seasons in a row.

[@jonsalt3241]

His homer off Madson in the 8th to tie the game with the Royals was epic too!

[@xaviersantana2367]

I was at the game where he hit the grand slam against Tampa for the Mets. Glad you threw that in there. Definitely the highlight of his Mets career

[@BoldyJamesLover]

Swing and a drive!

[@jmac1851]

Deep left field!

[@ajwootz8165]

No doubt about it!!

[@aidanstewart408]

You can only play with fire for so long...

[@robertkruse6035]

He’s gonna burn ya

[@ckendall67]

Sam Dyson still has nightmares in his sleep. ;-)

[@summacruzlaude]

What a great video. The amount of research and the way you formulated this presentation is a very respectful salute to his career. I love your video on John Olerud as well. Amazing job.

[@txisbest2010]

I miss his swing. It seems so effortless yet elegant, and you always know it's homerun when it connects.

[@carlocunanan0513]

Awesome video man. Editing and writing was really good. This brought back a lot of great memories!

[@StarkRavingSports]

Thank you so much!

[@ryanzeigler]

Me when I see a SRS video in my subscriptions 👁👄👁

[@toret8579]

Same

[@BeefPapa]

Top notch video. The loudest I've heard a ballpark other than Piazza's home run that post-911 game, was Joey Bats' shot against the Rangers.

[@bobbarker3248]

I remember Jose had a good eye at the plate, and got walked often.

[@joshuakellogg20]

His mechanical change was to start his load slower and start the load earlier giving him more time and more generated energy to create that bat speed he possesses. This allows him to be on time with any fastball and adjust to off speed pitches accordingly. Great video!

[@talhakarsloglu4278]

Just another Pirate who became incredibly great after leaving the Bucs.

[@kenbuck2293]

Yup lol

[@ChimpityChoo]

Wait a minute...aren't Pirates supposed to steal gold, not give it away?

[@kellyhryniuk1869]

Where did they get the name bucs from?

[@legogandalf5453]

@@kellyhryniuk1869 Buccaneer is a word for pirate

[@superwick_5196]

Jose Bautista has to be one of my all time favorite players, I grew up watching him and is basically the reason I like the blue Jays to this day.

[@WeAreBlessedCo]

i’ll always remember Joey Bats as the guy that followed almost everyone back on Twitter

[@turk3sh]

My favorite player to watch during the 2010s despite being a Marlins fan. He was electric!

[@SJReid82]

Being a die hard Jays fan, I distinctly remember that 2010 season and being like "Where the hell did this guy come from!?" Just a homerun machine. Remember thinking during the early part of the 2011 season he might make a run at the record....sadly, they stopped pitching to him for the rest of the season basically.

[@jakeman8273]

I loved him in new York. So much fun to see him play there.

[@AirtimeThrills]

Joey Bats come back in 2020 and wins a Cy Young. Because...2020

[@StarkRavingSports]

That would be the 63rd most shocking thing this year

[@SunshineStateCoasters]

Airtime Thrills What are you doing here?! Lmao

[@AirtimeThrills]

@@SunshineStateCoasters baseball is life

[@Nerrt45]

Both Bautista and Delgado were absolutely terrifying to face but riveting to watch. You instantly knew when they'd smashed one out of the park.

[@daveharack]

Man I wish he won a World Series with Toronto in either ‘15 or ‘16

[@megatone9139]

Awesome video. He was my favourite player on the Jays. That bomb against Texas might have been the best sports moment I’ve ever witnessed live, the ball landed in the section above me at the sky dome (Rogers centre)

[@elliyahugenesove9777]

Never commented about defense-played three positions (not including Lf for the Mets) -even show a clip of him throwing someone out at 1b from RF

[@ZOMGHUNTER]

Great video! Thanks for throwing us Jay fans a bone.

[@murishere]

wasn't even bad in 2018. Mets: 83 games, .351 OBP Phillies: 27 games, .404 OBP (.870 OPS) he could've hit 20HR if he played 162 games In June of 2018, he batted .250/.434/.536 (.970 OPS) in 25 games. as a sub, he batted .256/.377/.512 (.889 OPS) in 38 games with RISP, he batted .300/.450/.519 (.969 OPS) in 77 at bats. (100 PA) (35 RBI) with 2 outs and RISP, he batted .286/.468/.571 (1.040 OPS) in 35 at bats (47 PA) (17 RBI) when his team was losing, he had a .380 OBP. These ones are very ESPN type stats but it's worth mentioning: When batting 6th in the lineup, he batted .314/.462/.588 (1.050 OPS) in 18 games When he hit the ball in to the outfield, his batting average was .541 (1.545 OPS)

[@Hay-tn6hz]

miintyy Wow, he could've hit 20 whole homers that season? That's unheard of.

[@mrxxsesshomaruxx9642]

Great turnaround and very good career, imagine how many players give up too soon after having crappy starts like Jose did, Jose didn’t give up and kept working hard and became a great player, respect!

[@ratryox5667]

I’d rather be punched in the regular season than knocked out in the playoffs.

[@aidanstewart408]

Funny story, the one who made the throwing error that cost the Rangers their 2016 season against the Jays was Odor.

[@robertkruse6035]

They got both lmao

[@AllDayBlueJays]

​@@robertkruse6035 At least the Jays won the World Series (twice)...can't say the same for the Rangers.

[@LexTan]

@@aidanstewart408 Poetic justice from the baseball gods.

[@LexTan]

@@robertkruse6035 Getting eliminated still doesn't take away the successes they've had... Struggling all season to get home field advantage in the Wildcard, Walk-off HR in the Wildcard and getting sweet, sweet justice in the DS. It still doesn't take away the Texas Rangers' AL West Division Championships, but it amplified the inner cultural problems that team actually had, and made the Rangers an unlikable team. In the teams that have defeated the Jays (and, this goes for the other Toronto teams in the other sports), there was never anyone that didn't deserve respect. For instance, with the Philadelphia Phillies of 1993, who the Jays defeated to win the title, Mitch Williams gives up the only come-from-behind, World Series clinching walk-off HR, and the first WS walk-off clincher since Mazeroski, and Williams took full responsibility, acknowledged he let his teammates down, but wasn't gonna curl up and die just because he gave up a home run in the World Series. And as much as it was awkward between he and Joe Carter over the years, they always had a respect for each other, and would appear together in special events and TV shows. In the 2015 series, when the Rangers lost Game 5, they don't take ownership that Elvis Andrus, Mitch Moreland, and Rougned Odor had played poor defense when the game was handed to them on a silver platter. They didn't acknowledge that Cole Hamels was kept in too long. They didn't take responsibility that Sam Dyson served up a fastball on the inside of the strike zone which Jose eats for breakfast, lunch, brunc and dinner. Then Dyson goes to Edwin Encarnacion to explain the unwritten rules, when Edwin doesn't speak English as well as Jose. Then tries to be buddy-buddy with Tulowitzki and gives him an unwarranted back slap. Dyson didn't take any responsibility that not only did he fail at his job, but he unnecessarily escalated a moment that wouldn't have turned into anything had focused on the game and not his hurt ego. Then they continued it in the regular season with that one series they had, only to be humbled in the DS by dropping the first two games at home by a huge margin, and Odor making the errant throw that allowed Donaldson to score the winning run. Dyson didn't even get a chance to pitch in the DS. That's not positive clubhouse culture, and though they had respectable players, their clubhouse culture was toxic. The drama of the Jays vs the Rangers gave baseball a rivalry that created widespread interest, but also showed how petty baseball players can be. Epilogue: Besides, if the Jays went on the WS, we wouldn't have been able to get to see Cleveland vs the Chicago Cubs. That was an epic series that was a good consolation prize for the Jays losing the CS. I thought I'd never see either one of those championship droughts end.

[@markkaminski2416]

I'm a JB fan. He always seemed like a badass on the field, but was soft spoken and humble in person or doing interviews . He made a believer of me when he threw out a runner at third from deep in the rf corner. An amazing catch and sweeping tag by Josh Donaldson sealed the deal! Wish you the BEST Joey Batts!!

[@KC-bg1th]

Really hoping he’s the final Blue Jays Face Of The Franchise reward in MLB The Show 20.

[@UrbanstarsK]

Yea I’m with you man. That’d be awesome.

[@mikeyg9203]

I wish dude

[@thegoodfight365]

Maybe I'm far too easily impressed, but I think that was an awesome job of breaking down the differences in the early vs latter JoeyBatts. And of course the advantage/disadvantage of the 2 approaches to hitting. Thanks

[@turk3sh]

Retiring as a Blue Jay, awesome to see

[@nicholasgignac7065]

Been going through all his highlights after seeing that news

[@turk3sh]

@@nicholasgignac7065 same

[@donttrustdaniel]

this was a really good watch! keep up the content man

[@tuftysauce2920]

My uncle and Jose went to school together and are best freinds yes I’m Dominican and when he played Boston he would buy us tickets and my uncle would come from the Dominican Republic

[@emilielippmann7756]

Cool

[@alexdelvalle4841]

Mets fan, but really like how Toronto shows love to all there sports teams, especially to the players. Reminds me of NY, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and LA teams. 👍🏼

[@gunnarpedersen001]

He changed his timing on the Blue Jays, that’s what helped him, his timing was late a lot on the Pirates.

[@matthewwhite5685]

His plate discipline + power was a joy to watch every time he was in the box

[@thekopytos4257]

As a Jay fan, Bautista on the oriles is weird, he hates that team.

[@oorad]

As an Orioles fan, I agree that Bautista on the Orioles is weird

[@RobertJW]

Probably he hated being there, which made him enjoy playing well against them.

[@jkbuckeye1]

Bautista was always killing my Twins. Those back to back highlights at Target Field were no coincidence, as he held the away HR record for a good while.

[@kenbuck2293]

I can say this his body mass was always the same so I don’t see the juice being a factor

[@keeganator17599]

Means nothing. Look at a-roid

[@XiJinPingEatShit]

And Dee Gordon got bigger?

[@beastman6666]

If Bautista was juicing he would have been caught

[@evskiicf3998]

Wise and Free I’ve not seen a PED that increases reflexes. Accept for maybe adderall

[@MikeHart72]

When you career takes such a dramatic turn like his you can't help but he suspicious. He went from less than a nobody to a god in Canada in about enough time to drink a cup of coffee. It's a certainty he was tested multiple times. Bautista either found an undetectable drug or sold his soul to the devil. I'm Canadian and a Jays fan so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say he sold his soul.

[@CarnivoryHODL]

Now, the man will be enshrined as a retired Blue Jay. Good on the Jays organization.

[@gblizzard7518]

If memory serves me correctly, his 2009 September was the sign of the breakout to come...

[@AllDayBlueJays]

I thought I was the only one who remembered...he hit 9 or 10 bombs that month.

[@jamesnewbury6354]

@@AllDayBlueJays but then i got the poo-poo in the bum-bum dahahaha

[@peterchristensen8843]

I picked up Jose Bautista in a fantasy baseball league in 2010 right as he hit his hot streak, and he carried my team to win that year and the next. I don't play fantasy baseball anymore but I'll always remember that name.

[@kimblandino]

I'm a Pirates fan. When you say Jose Bautista, I don't think of legendary bat-flips, or a charismatic temper, or a great slugger. I think of a scrawny career minor leaguer with a horrible swing who strikes out 60% of the time.

[@J5er]

Awesome video, thanks for posting.

[@ethanmckinley-radder7047]

Joey Bats: breaks hand hitting garbage can 'Stros: requesting location

[@Hay-tn6hz]

Ethan McKinley-Radder Rogned Odor breaks hand punching Jose Bautista.

[@jayp.6166]

The emergence of Jose Bautista was one of the best/craziest things I have witnessed in sports. SO much fun to watch

[@martytu20]

An example of a player who could've been a Hall of Famer if he was developed correctly.

[@Flexb123]

He just found his swing too late and faded out too early.

[@KardiFan2000]

@Kd 78orangerangerpete As much as I love Jose...his 36.7 WAR won't be enough to get him in. His peak years just didn't last long enough, and there are better players who haven't been inducted yet.

[@personalemail1632]

I remember people bringing up the swing mechanics back in the day but the side by side really helped.

[@martinvillela732]

@1:45 Answer- And I can't stress this enough. Steroids

[@patrickleahy9534]

Nice job man; I was in the 500's for the 'bat flip' game. I've been fortunate and lucky enough to be in the dome for damn near every big moment the Dome had -except Joe Carter. The 7th inning though, the build, the bullshit, the sound off of his bat, and a blink later everyone knew what he knew. We didnt see the flip in stadium up where we were, too busy cheering the sound of his bat knowing it was gone and hugging your friend and then stangers ...Thank you Joey Bats bigtime.

[@jawless7616]

My favorite is the time his helmet went one way and his sunglasses went the other when Odor connected with a right.

[@oljimeagle]

I watched a one on one interview where he personally talked about the changes he made in Toronto and it was mechanical, but specifically it was when he started with the high front step with his lead leg. You can see it well in the breakdown. He said himself that was the change.

[@EvilClowns69]

My favorite moment was when he got clocked in the face

[@dudelebowski483]

Phenomenal job. I’m a metric - stats geek so we’ll done by you. I do remember how obnoxious the bat flipping was. An impressive career but stained imho w the bat flips. I like how you breezed over the PEDS. I would love to see you run some numbers on JB vs. guilty PED player turnarounds. Net Net - 👍 well done