DUNEDIN, Fla. - Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is a superstar without the excess swagger.

He hasn't forgotten what it was like a few years ago when he was a part-time player struggling to stay in the major leagues. Now he's the face of the Toronto franchise and a leader on a young team with a bright future.

"He knows what it's like to crawl through the mud to get to the top," said fellow outfielder Eric Thames. "He's smart enough to know that you can't take it for granted."

Strolling up to the batting cage on a warm, sunny Monday morning at the team's spring-training complex, Bautista is a friendly sort who also knows when to dig in and get serious.

He'll joke around a bit with teammates, engage in some casual banter and then focus his steely eyes on the mound before taking a few swings in the batting cage.

Bautista is coming off back-to-back career seasons but the spotlight hasn't got to him. He's quite comfortable with his progression and is keen to weigh in when teammates come to him for guidance.

"I think it's something that kind of falls in your lap," Bautista said. "People start gravitating your way when you start having success."

It's often just little things. Over the weekend, Bautista subtly chimed in as centre-fielder Colby Rasmus entered the cage.

"Make sure your hands are ready Colby," he said.

Rasmus nodded and promptly lashed a pitch to the outfield.

"There ya go," said a smiling Bautista.

The 31-year-old native of the Dominican Republic is quick to point out he doesn't have the recipe for success. There is certainly no know-it-all demeanour -- Bautista is just as keen to accept pointers as he is to give them.

"I've been on other teams where you have guys who are really successful and you have guys on the other end and there hasn't been a lot of chemistry," he said. "Guys didn't seem to talk a lot to each other.

"I've always thought that there's no other way to get better than to have some of your teammates just give you pointers and stuff.

"We trust each other's advice more than anything else."

Manager John Farrell often takes in the interaction from behind the cage.

"(Bautista) is a guy that you can go to for a feel for not only how he's feeling at the moment but some insights on the pulse of the club and he likes that," Farrell said. "He likes to be in the middle of things. He's very much aware of everyone around him.

"We're fortunate to have him in our uniform."

Ace Ricky Romero and younger players like Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia are some of the other leaders in a clubhouse that has an engaging spirit and strong sense of camaraderie.

Bautista is a good sounding board for many because he has played just about every position. He has been an infielder, outfielder and utilityman who was up and down to the minors before settling in with Toronto.

He made his big-league debut in 2004 and played for four different teams that year. He spent parts of five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates before he was traded to the Blue Jays in August 2008.

Things started to click about a year later. That's when batting coach Dwayne Murphy helped him make an adjustment to his swing that allowed him to address the ball sooner.

Coupled with a full-time role, Bautista was on his way. He hit 54 homers in his breakout 2010 campaign and was rewarded with a lucrative long-term deal in the off-season.

Bautista showed it was no fluke in 2011.

His defence was solid and he hit .302 with 43 home runs, 103 RBIs and a .447 on-base percentage. Walk around the spring training complex though, and it's the same Jose from a few years ago.

"He doesn't change, his ego isn't big," Thames said. "He's just a normal guy off the field. But on the field, he's the best teammate in the world."