Jose Bautista's Platoon Splits

Wednesday, August 23 2017 @ 03:40 PM EDT

Contributed by: Magpie

Jose Bautista, who is only the greatest RH slugger in franchise history, is hitting .181/.287/.324 against left-handed pitchers this season.

That can't be right. Or at least, it can't be normal. While he's hitting a not-too-wonderful .220/.331/.406 against RH pitchers, you would expect that with a normal platoon split against the sinister fellows he'd at least be.... well, let's just say more useful than he's been this year.

What the hell is going on? Has he developed some weird blind spot, and he's not picking up the ball out of a left-hander's hand as well?

Anyway, I went back and looked at his career platoon splits. Partially in the Unending Quest for knowledge, and partially to see if I still knew how to make Data Tables (oh, you never forget that) or, even better, a pretty picture to illustrate what I've learned.

Here's the Data Table:

Â Â Â  SplitÂ Â Â       GÂ Â Â  ABÂ Â  Â  RÂ Â Â  HÂ Â Â  2BÂ Â  3BÂ Â  HRÂ Â  RBIÂ Â  SBÂ Â  CSÂ Â  BBÂ Â  SOÂ Â Â  BAVGÂ Â Â  OBPÂ Â Â  SLGÂ Â Â   OPS
Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  
2004Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  24Â Â  53Â Â  Â  2Â Â Â  11Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â   0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  1Â Â  24Â Â Â  .208Â Â Â  .222Â Â  .226Â Â Â   .449
2005Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â   6Â Â  11Â Â Â   1Â  Â Â  3Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â   1Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  .273Â Â Â  .385Â Â  .364Â Â Â   .748
2006Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  51Â  113Â Â Â  23Â Â Â  32Â Â Â  4Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  7Â Â Â  15Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  1Â Â  16Â Â  29Â Â Â  .283Â Â Â  .404Â Â  .540Â Â Â   .944
2007Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  56Â  121Â Â Â  23Â Â Â  31Â Â Â  8Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  4Â Â Â  14Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  1Â Â  21Â Â  21Â Â Â  .256Â Â Â  .366Â Â  .421Â Â Â   .788
2008Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  60Â  108Â Â Â  19Â Â Â  27Â Â Â  5Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  9Â Â Â  18Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  1Â Â  16Â Â  27Â Â Â  .250Â Â Â  .339Â Â  .546Â Â Â   .885
2009Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  64Â  123Â Â Â  17Â Â Â  36Â Â Â  8Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  18Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  0Â Â  19Â Â  21Â Â Â  .293Â Â Â  .382Â Â  .537Â Â Â   .919
2010Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  51Â  108Â Â Â  18Â Â Â  24Â Â Â  7Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  8Â Â Â  17Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  1Â Â  17Â Â  24Â Â Â  .222Â Â Â  .333Â Â  .509Â Â Â   .843
2011Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  63Â  119Â Â Â  24Â Â Â  40Â Â Â  7Â Â Â  0Â Â  11Â Â Â  21Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  1Â Â  33Â Â  24Â Â Â  .336Â Â Â  .484Â Â  .672Â Â Â  1.156
2012Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  43Â   85Â Â Â  16Â Â Â  17Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  5Â Â Â  14Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  0Â Â  12Â Â  13Â Â Â  .200Â Â Â  .306Â Â  .412Â Â Â   .718
2013Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  44Â   92Â Â Â  24Â Â Â  23Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  7Â Â Â  20Â Â Â  4Â Â Â  0Â Â  17Â Â  12Â Â Â  .250Â Â Â  .366Â Â  .543Â Â Â   .910
2014Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  60Â  116Â Â Â  22Â Â Â  40Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  0Â Â  10Â Â Â  19Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â  21Â Â  19Â Â Â  .345Â Â Â  .449Â Â  .629Â Â Â  1.079
2015Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  61Â  104Â Â Â  16Â Â Â  24Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  5Â Â Â  20Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  0Â Â  26Â Â  19Â Â Â  .231Â Â Â  .382Â Â  .452Â Â Â   .834
2016Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  42Â   91Â Â Â  15Â Â Â  20Â Â Â  4Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  5Â Â Â  12Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  1Â Â  14Â Â  16Â Â Â  .220Â Â Â  .324Â Â  .429Â Â Â   .752
2017Â Â Â  vs LHPÂ Â Â  53Â  105Â Â Â  17Â Â Â  19Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  3Â Â Â   7Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  1Â Â  15Â Â  33Â Â Â  .181Â Â Â  .287Â Â  .324Â Â Â   .611

And against RH pitching

Â Â Â  SplitÂ Â Â        GÂ   ABÂ Â Â   RÂ Â Â   HÂ Â  2BÂ Â  3B Â  HRÂ Â  RBIÂ Â  SBÂ Â  CSÂ Â  BBÂ Â  SOÂ Â Â  BAVGÂ Â Â  OBPÂ Â Â  SLGÂ Â Â    OPS
Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  Â Â Â  
2004Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â Â  29Â   35Â Â Â   4Â Â Â   7Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â   2Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  6Â Â  16Â Â Â  .200Â Â Â  .317Â Â  .257Â Â Â   .574
2005Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â Â   9Â   17Â Â Â   2Â Â Â   1Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  0Â Â Â   0Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  1Â Â   5Â Â Â  .059Â Â Â  .111Â Â  .059Â Â Â   .170
2006Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  109Â  287Â Â Â  35Â Â Â  62Â Â  16Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  9Â Â Â  36Â Â Â  2Â Â Â  3Â Â  30Â Â  81Â Â Â  .216Â Â Â  .306Â Â  .373Â Â Â   .679
2007Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  135Â  411Â Â Â  52Â Â  104Â Â  28Â Â Â  2Â Â  11Â Â Â  49Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  2Â Â  47Â Â  80Â Â Â  .253Â Â Â  .331Â Â  .411Â Â Â   .742
2008Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  113Â  262Â Â Â  26Â Â Â  61Â Â  12Â Â Â  0Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  36Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  0Â Â  24Â Â  64Â Â Â  .233Â Â Â  .301Â Â  .347Â Â Â   .648
2009Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â   91Â  213Â Â Â  37Â Â Â  43Â Â Â  5Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  7Â Â Â  22Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  0Â Â  37Â Â  64Â Â Â  .202Â Â Â  .331Â Â  .333Â Â Â   .664
2010Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  154Â  461Â Â Â  91Â Â  124Â Â  28Â Â Â  3Â Â  46Â Â  107Â Â Â  8Â Â Â  1Â Â  83Â Â  92Â Â Â  .269Â Â Â  .388Â Â  .642Â Â Â  1.030
2011Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  137Â  394Â Â Â  81Â Â  115Â Â  17Â Â Â  2Â Â  32Â Â Â  82Â Â Â  8Â Â Â  4Â Â  99Â Â  87Â Â Â  .292Â Â Â  .436Â Â  .589Â Â Â  1.025
2012Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â   90Â  247Â Â Â  48Â Â Â  63Â Â  11Â Â Â  0Â Â  22Â Â Â  51Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  2Â Â  47Â Â  50Â Â Â  .255Â Â Â  .375Â Â  .567Â Â Â   .942
2013Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  112Â  360Â Â Â  58Â Â Â  94Â Â  18Â Â Â  0Â Â  21Â Â Â  53Â Â Â  3Â Â Â  2Â Â  52Â Â  72Â Â Â  .261Â Â Â  .356Â Â  .486Â Â Â   .842
2014Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  150Â  437Â Â Â  79Â Â  118Â Â  24Â Â Â  0Â Â  25Â Â Â  84Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  2Â Â  83Â Â  77Â Â Â  .270Â Â Â  .391Â Â  .497Â Â Â   .888
2015Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  148Â  439Â Â Â  92Â Â  112Â Â  23Â Â Â  2Â Â  35Â Â Â  94Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  2Â Â  84Â Â  87Â Â Â  .255Â Â Â  .376Â Â  .556Â Â Â   .932
2016Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  114Â  332Â Â Â  53Â Â Â  79Â Â  20Â Â Â  1Â Â  17Â Â Â  57Â Â Â  1Â Â Â  1Â Â  73Â Â  87Â Â Â  .238Â Â Â  .376Â Â  .458Â Â Â   .834
2017Â Â Â  vs RHPÂ Â  116Â  355Â Â Â  59Â Â Â  78Â Â  15Â Â Â  0Â Â  17Â Â Â  47Â Â Â  6Â Â Â  2Â Â  56Â Â  96Â Â Â  .220Â Â Â  .331Â Â  .406Â Â Â   .737

And as that's a whole lot of numbers to peruse, it's a good thing that I still know how to make a pretty picture (although it turned out to be a more complicated process than I remember.)

Bautista's a RH slugger - you should expect the pink line to ride comfortably atop the blue line. Which it actually did, back when he was a young Pirate. But it turns out that since he became Jose Bautista back in 2010, he's usually had a reverse platoon split.

In these last (almost) eight seasons he's hit .259/.381/.529 against RH pitching and .252/.373/.504 against southpaws. It's not a big split, although the only reason it's even as close as it is because Bautista absolutely destroyed LH pitching in two of those season, 2011 and 2014. Come to think of it, he destroyed pretty well everything in 2011.

It's just weird. When Cito Gaston decided to make him an everyday player in the spring of 2010, a lot of folks were dubious of that decision working out because... Bautista was a platoon hitter who wouldn't be able to hit RH pitching everyday. And that was actually true. Through 2009, Bautista had hit .265/.356/.478 against LH pitching but just .227/.312/.366 against RH pitchers.

It's weird, I say (over and over again, too. Sorry!) but in a way that makes its own kind of sense. Bautista's not at all a weird guy. He's certainly an emotional player, but when he's not between the white lines he seems a pretty thoughtful and somewhat soft-spoken type of fellow. Nevertheless, he's had one of the weirdest careers imaginable.

We're surely looking at the end of Bautista's run in Toronto - and it's been generally magnificent, for the most part - and we're quite possibly looking at the end of his time in the majors. I mean, look at those last three data points. It doesn't matter how high up the mountain you were - and Bautista was pretty high up the mountain in 2015 - when you're falling that fast and that steadily. It's hard to think any GM would want to find out what the fourth data points in that sequence would look like.

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