On October 8, 2015, with just over 1,400 career games played, Bautista made his postseason debut against the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series (ALDS). In the fifth and final game of the series on October 14, Bautista hit a three-run home run off Sam Dyson that gave the Jays a 6–3 lead that they would not relinquish, sending Toronto to the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Bautista watched the home run and flipped his bat high into the air before running the bases, a celebratory gesture that was applauded by Jays fans and media outlets, while drawing the ire of Rangers players as unsportsmanlike, in the midst of a 53-minute seventh inning laden with controversy. A vital symbol of Toronto's first postseason appearance since 1993, the bat flip was voted Esurance's MLB Award for Best Play on Offense for 2015. In the five games of the ALDS, Bautista batted .273 with two home runs and five RBI.