Bautista's professional career began when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the 20th round of the 2000 MLB draft. In , he became the 26th member of the 50 home run club, while leading MLB in home runs for the first of two consecutive seasons. From 2010–, Bautista hit more home runs than any player in the major leagues. An MLB All-Star selection six consecutive times, he has won three Silver Slugger Awards and two Hank Aaron Awards. In addition, he has received the American League (AL) Player of the Month Award, five times, and the AL Player of the Week, four times. Before being traded to the Blue Jays, Bautista primarily played third base.