Jose Bautista, famed bat flipper and former Blue Jay, will be returning to the batter’s box this summer, though this time he’ll be on it rather than in it. Mary Brown’s, the official chicken restaurant of the Toronto Blue Jays, has signed an additional multi-year partnership with Joey Batts just in time for his likeness to appear on the Canadian chicken spot’s Batter’s Box menu item.

Although the retired slugger hasn’t officially been a Blue Jay since 2017, according to the brand, the decision to use Bautista was an easy one. “Jose has achieved an iconic status in Canada from his playing days and performance. He is known and recognized across almost every age group in Canada. Who better to represent our Batter’s Box than the player who gave us ‘The Bat Flip!'” Jeff Barlow, CMO, MBI Brands tells MiC. 

The fully integrated campaign will run throughout the summer and include broadcast brand commercials over 13 weeks (x 3 :30 second unique creative concepts), organic and paid social support influencer campaigns, Digital display/search, PR, and contests and promotions.

“I’m thrilled to be stepping back into the batter’s box and entering a partnership with Mary Brown’s, a proud Canadian brand” said Bautista in a statement. “Toronto and all of Canada has always been a special place for my family and me, and it’s a great opportunity to reconnect with fans of the game across the country over the coming years.”

The Batter’s Box will be available in Mary Brown’s Chicken locations across Canada (excluding MB Express and Rogers Centre locations) on June 4th, 2024. Fans will also be able to order the Batter’s Box via the MB App and Skip, the exclusive third-party delivery partner for the Batter’s Box.