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Career timeline: José Bautista

Early moves

Selected by the Pirates with the 599th pick in the 2000 Draft, Bautista made his MLB debut in ’04 with the O's, who had grabbed him as a Rule 5 pick. In early June, he was claimed by the Rays, then traded to the Royals by the end of the month ...

... and traded again to the Pirates in July

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May 13, 2006: The birth of Joey Bats

Bautista hit a drive deep to left-center field for his first career MLB home run; from there he emerged as an everyday player in Pittsburgh for the next two seasons and gained an instantly recognizable nickname

May 13, 2006

'Minor' trade, major impact

The Blue Jays acquired Bautista on Aug. 21, 2008, for a player to be named (it turned out to be catcher Robinzon Diaz) -- looking back, it was one of the biggest transactions in franchise history

The ultimate breakout season

After a slow start to 2010, something clicked in May: Bautista launched 12 home runs with a 1.188 OPS that month, and the chase for 50 was on

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Sept. 23, 2010: No. 50

Facing King Felix, Bautista launched No. 50 at home (he hit two more the next day before finishing the season with 54 HRs, which is still a Blue Jays record)

September 23, 2010

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May 29, 2014: The cannon

When he has his chances on defense, Bautista’s arm could change a game

May 29, 2014

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Oct. 14, 2015: THE BAT FLIP

Go ahead, bask in the glory of one of the biggest moments in Blue Jays history

October 14, 2015

Iconic

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May 15, 2016: Bautista vs. Odor

Months of simmering Toronto-Texas tension finally boiled over with a Rougned Odor punch. The teams went on to meet in the ALDS, with Bautista and the Blue Jays getting the last laugh.

May 15, 2016

Slide sparks fracas

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Sept. 24, 2017: Last hurrah in Toronto

Bautista inked a one-year, $18M deal to return in 2017, then hit .203 with 23 homers and a .674 OPS. In the Blue Jays' final home game that season, he was treated to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Rogers Centre.

September 24, 2017

Joey Bats honored

Bautista split 2018 between the Braves, Mets and Phillies, rounding out his 15-year MLB career with 344 home runs