Jose Bautista hits home run left-handed during batting practice

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista doesn’t lack for confidence. With his club facing elimination in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, Bautista told reporters Cleveland Indians starter Ryan Merritt should be afraid to face the Jays’ powerful lineup.

Many interpreted that as Bautista being cocky and overstepping his bounds. His team is down 3-1, so maybe this isn’t the best time to talk smack. But, in Bautista’s case, he can back it up.

Prior to Game 5, Bautista showed why he deserves to be feared at the plate. During batting practice, he hit a home run … while batting left-handed.

That’s awesome. And, yes, we technically don’t see the ball land in the stands. But based on the sound of the hit, and the reaction of Bautista and his teammates, we’re going to assume this one left the park.

Honestly, we’re impressed. Have you ever tried to perform a simple task with your non-dominant hand? It’s not easy. And this isn’t that simple, either. Bautista isn’t trying to write a letter left-handed, he’s using his entire body to employ sound hitting mechanics from an unusual position. Go try this out at your local batting cages if you’re not impressed. We’ll wait.

Bautista’s comments about Merritt walked a fine line between confidence and cockiness. After seeing Bautista do that, we understand why he would be confident in his abilities.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik