2015 José Bautista

bautista talking fans during 2015 spring training

in 2015, bautista earned 10-and-5 rights having @ least 10 years of service time in big-leagues, last 5 being on same team. these rights give bautista ability veto trade involved in. in home game against orioles on april 21, bautista hit 250th career home run. injured right shoulder during game, attempting throw out delmon young @ first base. held out of lineup several days before returning, exclusively designated hitter. bautista received cortisone shot on may 24 , returned outfield on june 2, against washington nationals. on july 6, bautista named sixth-consecutive all-star team, reserve outfielder in cincinnati. however, on july 11 announced sit out game due shoulder injury. bautista tied vernon wells second place on blue jays all-time home run list on july 21, when hit 223rd home run toronto in 7–1 win on athletics. surpassed wells on july 24 in 5–2 loss seattle mariners.

on september 30, bautista surpassed 40 home run mark third time in career, hitting solo shot in ninth inning against baltimore orioles extend blue jays lead 11–1. blue jays win game, 15–2, , clinch american league east. bautista finished 2015 regular season .250 batting average, 40 home runs, , 114 rbi. walked more struck out second consecutive year, totaling 110 walks 106 strikeouts. 2010–15, batted .268 153 doubles, 227 home runs, 582 rbi, 574 walks, 576 strikeouts, .390 obp, .555 slg, .945 ops, , 156 ops+. in span, hit more home runs other major leaguer – 28 ahead of second-place miguel cabrera – second in slugging percentage , walks, third in ops , ops+ , fifth in obp.

on october 8, 2015, on 1,400 career games played, bautista made postseason debut against texas rangers in american league division series (alds). in fifth , final game of series on october 14, bautista hit three-run home run off sam dyson gave jays 6–3 lead not relinquish, sending toronto american league championship series (alcs). bautista watched home run , flipped bat high air before running bases, celebratory gesture applauded jays fans , media outlets, while drawing ire of rangers players unsportsmanlike, in midst of 53-minute seventh inning laden controversy. vital symbol of toronto s first postseason appearance since 1993, bat flip voted esurance s mlb award best play on offense 2015. in 5 games of alds, bautista batted .273 2 home runs , 5 rbi.

in game 3 of alcs against kansas city royals, bautista had 1 hit , 2 walks, joining keith hernandez players in mlb postseason history reach base 3 times on birthday. blue jays win game, 11–8. in game 6, bautista hit 2 home runs, including two-run game-tying homer @ top of eighth inning tie game @ 3–3; kansas city win 4–3 take pennant.

on november 3, 2015, toronto exercised bautista s $14 million option 2016.