Jose Bautista's playing days have been over for nearly a decade, having not appeared in MLB since 2018. However, he made his mark as one of the most feared hitters of the 2010s, and he did it primarily with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Across 10 seasons in Toronto, Bautista owned a .253 batting average, .372 on-base percentage, .878 OPS, 288 home runs and 766 RBIs. He earned six All-Star selections, three Silver Slugger awards and finished in the top 10 of American League MVP voting on four separate occasions.
He also had one of the most iconic moments in MLB history, launching a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers, complete with one of the most memorable bat flips the game has ever seen.
Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
While his playing days have been over for some time, Bautista has stayed busy building a career away from the field as both an entrepreneur and an investor. One of his longest-standing partnerships is with Mary Brown's Chicken, the largest Canadian-owned chicken restaurant chain.
On Wednesday, he took that partnership one step further, officially opening his first-ever personally owned and operated location, conveniently located in Toronto. "I’m incredibly honoured to partner with @marybrownsofficial on their newest flagship location at Toronto’s iconic Yonge and Dundas intersection," Bautista wrote on X.
"Going into our third year of partnership, I’m excited for what’s ahead and proud to work with a brand I admire and that is committed to quality and community 💙🧡 Thank you to the Mary Brown’s team for putting on a great event and to everyone who came out to support the opening yesterday!"
The location is heavily decorated with memorabilia from his playing career and features Bautista's signature meal deal as well.
To celebrate their third year working together, the brand launched a shared meal promotion running from June 2 to September 30. For $24.99 CAD, the deal includes two Big Mary sandwiches, four Naked Wings, shareable Taters and three signature sauces.
For a player who gave Toronto some of its most memorable baseball moments, it is fitting that his post-playing chapter is rooted in the same city that embraced him most.
