"Among those names is a batter who was given a final chance by the Blue Jays after being floated around with the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. That man would be José Bautista, who would later earn the nickname "Joey Bats." He would go on and cement his legacy as one of Toronto's best in franchise history and it all started in 2010, with his first Silver Slugger award."
"Before the 2010 season, Bautista was essentially the man you'd love to face as a pitcher for the easy out. Between 2004-2008 (which includes the year he arrived in Toronto), Bautista was a .239 career hitter. His on-base percentage was .324, slugging .398, and OPS at .722. He hit a combined 46 home runs in 462 games played. Per every 162 games in that time span, Bautista would average 16.1 home runs, 60 RBIs, 57.5 walks, an alarming 122.4 strikeouts, and a WAR of -1.0."
Seven Blue Jays players have won multiple Silver Slugger Awards, including Joe Carter, George Bell, and Carlos Deglado. José Bautista arrived in Toronto after stints with several teams and earned the nickname "Joey Bats." Bautista struggled from 2004–2008 with a .239 batting average, .324 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage, and a .722 OPS, totaling 46 home runs in 462 games. Per 162 games he averaged 16.1 home runs and posted a -1.0 WAR. After modest 2008–2009 results, Bautista broke out in 2010, hitting 12 homers in May and 24 by the All-Star break, earning his first All-Star selection and his first Silver Slugger.
Read at Jays Journal
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