Bautista finishes 2017 with lowest average in Blue Jays history
Jose Bautista will be remembered in Toronto and across all of Canada for a decade of greatness while wearing a Blue Jays uniform.
So, if any fans choose to erase Bautista's 2017 performance from their memories, they'll be forgiven.
Bautista's disappointing season - and in all likelihood, his Blue Jays career - came to an end Sunday afternoon when he went 1-for-1 with a single and sacrifice fly against the New York Yankees before being lifted for a pinch hitter. The 36-year-old finished his season hitting just .203 - a mark that now sits as the lowest single-season batting average in the Blue Jays' 40-year history among qualified hitters.
| Player | Year | AVG | AB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Bautista | 2017 | .203 | 587 |
| Aaron Hill | 2010 | .205 | 528 |
| Alfredo Griffin | 1981 | .209 | 388 |
| Lloyd Moseby | 1989 | .221 | 502 |
| Colby Rasmus | 2012 | .223 | 565 |
Earlier this month, Bautista set the franchise's single-season strikeout record, surpassing the previous mark held by Kelly Johnson and Jose Canseco.
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Bautista, who hit a Blue Jays-record 54 home runs during his breakout campaign in 2010, finishes this season having slashed just .203/.308/.366 with 23 homers, 65 RBIs, 170 strikeouts, and 84 walks while appearing in 157 games, the second-highest total of his career.
Despite the (likely) inglorious end to his tenure in Toronto, Bautista remains tied with Tony Fernandez for the Blue Jays' all-time lead in wins above replacement at 35.1, per Fangraphs. His 288 homers as a Blue Jay rank second all time, trailing only Carlos Delgado.