Man, this whole Odor versus Bautista thing got stuck in my head today after seeing some old clip online. Like, who actually came out on top after that crazy punch? Wasn’t sure if my memory was messing with me. Figured I’d dig in like I always do and see what the real deal was, stat by stat.
What Started The Whole Thing?
First, I had to refresh my memory on why these two dudes even started swinging. Went crawling through a bunch of old articles. Remembered it was from 2015 playoffs – Bautista hit a monster homer and flipped his bat real hard against the Rangers, and man, they did NOT like that one bit. Bad blood stewed for months, then BOOM, May 2016, Odor just decks him at second base. Felt like everyone saw that punch replay a million times. But who actually won the baseball part, you know?
My Deep Dive Into The Numbers
Alright, time for my trusty notebook. Grabbed my laptop, cracked open some stats sites I usually check.
- The Fight Year (2016):
- Bautista: Remembered him being a star, but man, his 2016 numbers? Not great. Looked up his season stats – batting average around .234, only 22 homers? That felt low for him. OPS+ was just slightly above average? Didn’t match the hype in my head.
- Odor: Totally forgot what kinda player he was back then. Turns out 2016 was his best year? Hit .271, slammed 33 homers, drove in 88 runs? And those were legit good numbers for a second baseman. Stats clearly showed he had the better season that year.
Next, had to see if the fight itself changed anything long-term. That’s the real test, right?
- After the Punch (Rest of Career):
- Bautista: His stats kinda took a nosedive after 2016. Looked it up – average dipped hard, home runs dropped off. Hung around a few more years bouncing between teams, but never got that superstar shine back. Seemed like the decline really sped up.
- Odor: His stats were up and down, mostly down after a couple years. That strikeout rate? Brutal. Later years, his batting average sank real low. Still hangs on sometimes because maybe he can pop one out now and then, but those early good years never really came back strong.
Putting It All Together & Spilling Coffee
Sitting there staring at my scribbles and laptop screen. Got kinda absorbed and knocked over my coffee mug trying to reach for my notebook! Had to scramble for paper towels, totally messed up my flow for a sec.
Alright, cleaned up, focus back. So, based purely on baseball performance that year?
- 2016 Winner: Odor. No doubt. Stats showed he flat-out had the better season. Hit for higher average, hit more homers, drove in more runs. Bautista just wasn’t himself that year.
But the bigger picture? The future?
- Long-Term “Winner”? Probably Bautista. Yeah, he faded fast after, but nobody forgets that guy. Playoff homers, big moments, Bat Flips™. He left way bigger mark on baseball, even if Odor clocked him good once. Odor? Known for the punch, and then years of hitting .210. That ain’t a legacy.
So there it is. Odor won the fight-year stats battle. Bautista kinda wins the overall baseball history war. And me? I ended up covered in cold coffee stains for the effort. Typical.
