What Jose Bautista never lost before proving himself with Mets

Jose BautistaJose 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. “Once that happens, I think that’s when most guys — either that or injuries — decide to call it quits. When that time comes for me, I’ll probably do the same. But right now, I…