Jose Bautista was confident he still had it in him all along.
Even as he began the 2018 season without a team, and even after his 15th year in the big leagues began with a brief, unproductive stint with the Braves before he was released — a scuffling stretch that continued in his first 22 games as a Met — Bautista said he believed he could still make an impact.
The confidence kept him going, even if the results didn’t back him up.
“As an athlete, I think that’s the last thing you lose, right?” Bautista said.