Jose Bautista is off to an incredible start

[commish]

Yeah, it's early, but I think his start confirms that he really has transformed himself as a hitter. I know a lot of people wrote off last season as a fluke. I haven't seen any Jays games, so I don't know if he's being pitched around a lot, but 25/16 BB/K?? That's ridiculous. His OBP is above .500 in 21 games so far. That's ridiculous. It's a great story so I hope he keeps it up.

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=430832#sectionType=career

[BaltimoreTerp]

Its essentially a season and two months, since he started hitting in September 2009.

I'm starting to believe.

[TGO]

I still think a lot of pitchers are not making the proper adjustment to him, which is pitching him low and in. He moved up towards the plate and now owns the outer half. He also worked on shortening his swing and getting around on the inside half, but I think you can pitch him there if you get under his hands. He holds the bat fairly high and I've seen him hit the ball up and in. Most pitchers these days are afraid to throw inside, though, and it's asking a lot to target only one quadrant of the plate.

But yes, I think he's for real. He may not hit 50 again and I don't think he'll stay over .300 BA all year, but he's certainly looking like a 35 or so plus HR guy who will OPS at least .900.

[Scrat1]

Bautista just knocked another one out. .377/.538/.805/.1.344

Yeesh.

As I said in a game thread the other day, he's either possessed, sold his soul a la Robert Johnson, or is on the newest stuff off the boat from Micronesia.

[weams]

Bautista just knocked another one out. .377/.538/.805/.1.344

Yeesh.

As I said in a game thread the other day, he's either possessed, sold his soul a la Robert Johnson, or is on the newest stuff off the boat from Micronesia.

http://www.somatropinonline.com/PRG-112/Human-growth-hormone-HGH-hGH-Humatrope-Somatropin-Saizen-Genotropin-pfizer.htm

[commish]

Three more today to give him 16 on the year. He's hitting everything too -- one was a fastball knee high and inside that he just roped out, and his third was opposite field.

[weams]

http://www.somatropinonline.com/PRG-112/Human-growth-hormone-HGH-hGH-Humatrope-Somatropin-Saizen-Genotropin-pfizer.htm

Pfizer makes good stuff.

[Remember The Alomar]

Pfizer makes good stuff.

We get it. You think Bautista somehow uses a magical form of HGH that make's him a better hitter (???) Do you really need to bring it up every single time he's mentioned? Could you at least rampantly speculate about him using PED that actually makes sense?

Please read this: http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/rumors-experts-and-human-growth-hormone/

[isestrex]

People said 50 homers again this year was a pipe dream.

...now I'm not so sure...:scratchchinhmm:

[ChrisAF79]

People said 50 homers again this year was a pipe dream.

...now I'm not so sure...:scratchchinhmm:

Currently on pace to hit 65 homeruns. I passed on him in fantasy several times this year because I wasn't a believer. I'm kicking myself now.

[SammyBirdland]

We get it. You think Bautista somehow uses a magical form of HGH that make's him a better hitter (???) Do you really need to bring it up every single time he's mentioned? Could you at least rampantly speculate about him using PED that actually makes sense?

Please read this: http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/rumors-experts-and-human-growth-hormone/

Bautista can thank the MLB Players Association for people assuming that he's a cheater. They are protecting the bad guys, so any potential good guys are assumed to most likely be bad guys.

[ledzepp8]

We get it. You think Bautista somehow uses a magical form of HGH that make's him a better hitter (???) Do you really need to bring it up every single time he's mentioned? Could you at least rampantly speculate about him using PED that actually makes sense?

Please read this: http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/rumors-experts-and-human-growth-hormone/

I suppose he could just not question it at all and blindly believe that a career journey man all of a sudden turned into Barry Bonds at age 29.

[NewMarketSean]

I had doubts that he'd hit 30. But he'll probably have that by the ASB.

I guess I'll wait for Drungo to pull a dozen or so players out of a hat who went on to become major sluggers at age 30 after being mediocre journeymen for 8 years.

[flashjordnk]

A few notes, not that many guys have gone on to hit more than 40 homers twice or more after they never did it before 30.

Rafael Palmeiro 4

Jason Giambi 3

Jeff Bagwell 3

Greg Vaughn 3

Andres Galarraga 3

Jay Buhner 3

Mike Schmidt 3

Frank Howard 3

David Ortiz 2

Jim Edmonds 2

Willie Stargell 2

Only 11 ever. Bautista could make it 12.

Also recognize that Bautista didn't hit .368 last year either. His BABIP is about 100 points higher than last year. And his HR/RB rate is up 10%. I'm inclined to say his numbers will dip pretty hard. 32% HR/FB rates for the year seems really impossible. Plus he's actually hitting less fly balls than last year. Pretty incredible, but more than likely he won't OPS 1.388 all year.

[Sports Guy]

Even if he is taking something, that hasn't made him THIS good all by itself.