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After early swoon, Bautista raking in June

After early swoon, Bautista raking in June

TORONTO -- After putting his slow start to the season behind him, two-time defending home run championJose Bautista is leading the Majors in homers, with 26.

Of the 26, 14 have been hit in June, a club record for the most by a player in any month. It's the mosthome runs in a single month since Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies hit 15 in September 2010, and is the mostfrom an American Leaguer since Alex Rodriguez's 14 in April 2007.

Bautista's 14 homers, 29 RBIs and 20 walks in June are the most in the Majors. For the season he ranksamong the top 10 in the AL in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, walks and slugging.

It's a far cry from the numbers he put up in April, when he hit three homers and recorded nine RBIs and anOPS of just .633.

Manager John Farrell was peppered with questions in April about what was wrong with his All-Staroutfielder, and he chalked most of it up to timing. Farrell was never worried about Bautista's slow startand feels that it is more than just getting his timing back that has allowed Bautista to flourish.

"I think there has been times, even when there has been a borderline call not go in his favor, he hasn'tkind of thought too much about it," Farrell said. "I think because he is in one of those stretches wherehe is confident, he knows he is going to get a pitch some time in the sequence that he's going to handle.

"I think that goes hand in hand with the confidence of a given guy. ... He hasn't missed many pitches inthe zone."

Bautista is the only player in the Majors who has hit more than 100 home runs -- 123 -- since 2010. Heeasily leads Albert Pujols, who is the closest, with 91. Over that time period, Bautista also leads allMajor Leaguers in walks and runs scored.