The Braves have exceeded Jose Bautista’s expectations, even if it’s debatable whether he has exceeded theirs.
Bautista, essentially a flier signing for general manager Alex Anthopoulos, spoke highly of the core in place when he was promoted to the team May 4.
“That’s just being reinforced,” Bautista said. “Just being around these guys, your respect level goes up on how hard they work for it. It’s not just talent level. They don’t just show up and expect to win. They all are great professionals. They’ve perfected their craft, nothing short of what it seemed from the outside.”
The 37-year-old has yet to provide much outside of two home runs, including what’d become the game-winner at the Cubs on Monday.
Bautista’s hit .156 with a .645 OPS in 32 at-bats entering Thursday. His defense at third base hasn’t provided reason for optimism, though that was expected going in.
In his defense, he didn’t have a spring training and played in just 12 minor-league games before his callup, including nine at third base.
The brief preparation time was partly a testament to Bautista’s conditioning, which those in the organization have repeatedly praised. Bautista kept himself in game shape despite not getting a job until mid-April.
“If you want to say that, that’s fine with me,” Bautista said of his training. “I try not to toot my own horn when I can. This is what we talked about. They wanted me to go play some games in the minors and come up and be ready. All I know is I was doing as much as I could to be ready to go when I got that phone call. The opportunity showed up and here I am.”
Bautista is certainly the old guard in a clubhouse that includes several 21-and-under players, including Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna, Luiz Gohara and Mike Soroka.
It’s near unprecedented levels of youth. And the players are major contributors to the team with the National League’s best record entering Thursday.
“I don’t have the history in front of me, but it’s certainly not common to recent memory,” Bautista said. “Definitely a change of approach to the front offices. And it’s one that’s paid off. So I’m proud and happy these guys are getting an opportunity and taking off with it.
“Just being in here lets you know why they’re being so successful and consistent. The energy level is there every single day, the effort, the work ethic. They’ve exceeded my expectations.”
The youngsters have the Braves looking like the surprise team of 2018. Bautista, who by all accounts has fit well in the clubhouse, has seen his share of pennant races, including playing in the postseason with the Blue Jays in 2015 and 2016.
He sees sustainability in Atlanta, and a significant reason why is the clubhouse.
“It certainly does,” Bautista said when asked if the Braves’ success felt sustainable. “But when you’ve played this many seasons at this level, you can ask other guys, but the way I’ve experienced it is that at this point in time, not only are a lot of teams positioned to do something about going to the playoffs, but there’s also that feel.
“That feel in clubhouses, regardless of the record. All we need to do is continue what we’ve been doing, stay consistent, stay healthy and we’ll see where we are in August.”
