Kyle Lohse remembers when pitchers used to go after Jose Bautista.

At that time, Bautista was a streaky-hitting utility player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. First appearing in the majors after a junior college career at Chipola College, Bautista bounced from team to team and was a regular name on the trading block. He lacked patience and a steady swing. He was not necessarily a threat.

So much is different now.

"Before, he was kind of a guy you could sneak it in and get in on him," Lohse said. "Right now that would be flirting with danger."

Thanks to his breakout performance with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, Bautista's name is now synonymous with home runs. Last year, he led all players with 54 homers and earned his first trip to the All-Star Game.

He went from a player constantly fighting for a spot to a franchise right fielder with a contract to prove it. In the spring, he signed a five-year deal with Toronto worth $64 million.

This season Bautista is showing no signs of slowing down. He currently leads all players in home runs (23) and walks, and his homer in the ninth inning Friday night beat the Cardinals.

Toronto's three-game weekend series with the Cardinals brings Bautista back to St. Louis for the first time since he was with the Pirates. No one is overlooking him now.

"My career has changed a lot, and mostly for the good," Bautista said. "It's somewhat gratifying. People treat you differently."

Cardinals pitcher Brian Tallet was teammates with Bautista in Toronto last season. He witnessed the season that skyrocketed Bautista's career.

"You watched him take batting practice and you knew he had the power," Tallet said.

Tallet said Bautista always had the intangibles to be a great hitter. But it was the development of his skills though meticulous practice and repetition that made the factors fall into place.

"He's hitting it hard," Tallet said. "He's one of the best players in baseball now."

The proof is in the numbers. From the start of September 2009 to the present, Bautista has hit 87 home runs. Albert Pujols and Paul Konerko trail him with 65.

"He's got the chance to show what he can do," Pujols said. "I told him last year, keep doing what you're doing. Don't change."

While he will look to keep his swing the same, Bautista will be experiencing a defensive change in the near future. After the series against the Cardinals, he will leave the grass of the outfield, swap gloves and go to third base. The position change, announced by the Blue Jays late Thursday, is an attempt to bring more offensive power to a club in desperate need of it.

"It's something that was asked of me and if it is what everybody feels will make the team better, then I will do it," Bautista said.

The trio of Toronto third basemen who had been playing the position had combined for anaverage of .178 coming into Friday's game. Just when the Blue Jays were ready to add hard-hitting prospect Brett Lawrie to the lineup, he suffered a hand injury after being hit by a pitch.

The temporary solution came with the addition of Eric Thames, an outfielder from Toronto's Class AAA team in Las Vegas.

Bautista said he was initially surprised by the decision, but he believes his relocation will only be temporary.

"There's a plan behind everything," Bautista said. "I'm supposed to hold that (third base) down until Brett (Lawrie) comes back from injury, and hopefully he gets back into the swing of things."