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B.J. Upton CFIndians

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 34)

PA	AVG	HR	R	RBI	SB	DRC+	WARP
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Birth Date	8-21-1984
Height	6' 3"
Weight	185 lbs

Age	39 years, 8 months, 4 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

: 0.92015
: 0.82016
: 2017
: 2018
: 0.32019
proj

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

YEAR	TEAM	AGE	G	PA	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	DRAA	BRR	FRAA	BWARP
2004	TBA	19	45	177	41	8	2	4	15	46	1	4	1	.258	.324	.409	77	-4.7	2.0	-2.1	0.1
2006	TBA	21	50	189	43	5	0	1	13	40	1	11	3	.246	.302	.291	66	-7.4	0.7	-1.1	-0.1
2007	TBA	22	129	548	142	25	1	24	65	154	4	22	8	.300	.386	.508	127	21.2	2.3	8.0	4.7
2008	TBA	23	145	640	145	37	2	9	97	134	2	44	16	.273	.383	.401	106	5.9	1.8	14.5	4.2
2009	TBA	24	144	626	135	33	4	11	57	152	3	42	14	.241	.313	.373	82	-11.9	-0.2	-0.7	0.7
2010	TBA	25	154	610	127	38	4	18	67	164	2	42	9	.237	.322	.424	100	1.1	4.6	2.4	2.8
2011	TBA	26	153	640	136	27	4	23	71	161	4	36	12	.243	.331	.429	111	8.8	2.3	2.8	3.5
2012	TBA	27	146	633	141	29	3	28	45	169	1	31	6	.246	.298	.454	107	5.1	2.9	-6.5	2.1
2013	ATL	28	126	446	72	14	0	9	44	151	3	12	5	.184	.268	.289	58	-19.9	-1.8	-10.1	-2.1
2014	ATL	29	141	582	108	19	5	12	57	173	1	20	7	.208	.287	.333	77	-14.5	6.1	-2.9	0.6
2015	SDN	30	87	228	53	12	4	5	21	62	0	9	3	.259	.327	.429	89	-2.0	1.5	2.2	0.9
2016	SDN	31	92	374	88	11	2	16	23	106	2	20	5	.256	.304	.439	80	-8.3	2.8	3.5	0.7
2016	TOR	31	57	165	29	4	1	4	14	49	0	7	3	.196	.261	.318	83	-2.9	0.9	-0.3	0.2
Career			1469	5858	1260	262	32	164	589	1561	24	300	92	.243	.321	.402	94	-29.5	26.1	9.6	18.2

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	PA	oppAVG	oppOBP	oppSLG	BABIP	BPF	BRAA	repLVL	POS_ADJ	DRC+	DRC+ SD	FRAA	BRR	DRAA	BWARP
2003	CSC	A	SAL	101	453	.000	.000	.000	.366			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2003	ORL	AA	SOU	29	127	.000	.000	.000	.346			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2004	TBA	MLB	AL	45	177	.268	.331	.427	.336	103	-0.3	5.3	0	77	10	-2.1	2.0	-4.7	0.1
2004	MNT	AA	SOU	29	120	.000	.000	.000	.421			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2004	DUR	AAA	INT	69	313	.000	.000	.000	.380			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2005	DUR	AAA	INT	139	631	.266	.330	.422	.367	106	7.4	7.9	2.7	139	0	-2.5	6.5	29.3	4.2
2006	TBA	MLB	AL	50	189	.266	.326	.417	.313	107	-11.5	5.7	0.8	66	9	-1.1	0.7	-7.4	-0.1
2006	DUR	AAA	INT	106	470	.258	.325	.388	.329	100	6.4	12.6	4.6	120	0	-6.1	6.3	9.3	2.6
2007	TBA	MLB	AL	129	548	.263	.333	.410	.393	102	24.8	16.3	0.4	127	9	8.0	2.3	21.2	4.7
2007	VRO	A+	FSL	7	24	.268	.328	.411	.214	107	0.8	0.7	-0.1	113	0	0.6	-0.1	0.4	0.1
2007	DUR	AAA	INT	2	7	.240	.320	.386	.400	100	1.2	0.2	0	123	0	-0.1	0.0	0.2	0.0
2008	TBA	MLB	AL	145	640	.264	.331	.413	.344	104	9.2	18.5	1.6	106	8	14.5	1.8	5.9	4.2
2009	TBA	MLB	AL	144	626	.264	.332	.418	.310	104	-12.2	18.0	1.6	82	10	-0.7	-0.2	-11.9	0.7
2009	PCH	A+	FSL	3	14	.223	.299	.293	.571	99	2	0.4	-0.1	193	0	-0.2	-0.3	1.2	0.1
2010	TBA	MLB	AL	154	610	.257	.322	.406	.304	106	-1.7	16.8	1.5	100	8	2.4	4.6	1.1	2.8
2011	TBA	MLB	AL	153	640	.254	.320	.403	.298	99	7.3	17.3	1.6	111	7	2.8	2.3	8.8	3.5
2012	TBA	MLB	AL	146	633	.255	.315	.412	.294	95	8.6	17.3	1.3	107	7	-6.5	2.9	5.1	2.1
2012	PCH	A+	FSL	4	12	.277	.329	.380	.100	111	-2.6	0.4	0	54	0	-0.6	0.3	-0.5	0.0
2012	MNT	AA	SOU	3	11	.269	.326	.400	.222	110	-1	0.3	0	71	0	0.0	0.0	-0.3	0.0
2013	ATL	MLB	NL	126	446	.258	.318	.399	.266	100	-20.1	11.7	1	58	9	-10.1	-1.8	-19.9	-2.1
2013	GWN	AAA	INT	3	12	.268	.329	.425	.500	102	0.6	0.3	-0.1	87	0	-0.2	0.1	-0.3	0.0
2014	ATL	MLB	NL	141	582	.252	.312	.385	.286	96	-10.6	15.0	1.4	77	7	-2.9	6.1	-14.5	0.6
2015	SDN	MLB	NL	87	228	.254	.316	.398	.348	95	6	6.2	0.5	89	7	2.2	1.5	-2.0	0.9
2015	ELP	AAA	PCL	13	55	.260	.335	.404	.351	108	-1	1.5	-0.1	79	0	0.9	1.4	-2.0	0.2
2016	SDN	MLB	NL	92	374	.253	.317	.410	.320	94	5.5	10.5	-2.1	80	7	3.5	2.8	-8.3	0.7
2016	TOR	MLB	AL	57	165	.260	.321	.431	.255	108	-8.3	4.7	-0.6	83	7	-0.3	0.9	-2.9	0.2
2017	SAC	AAA	PCL	12	49	.271	.331	.448	.333	98	-1.5	1.5	0	64	0	-0.8	0.1	-1.8	-0.1

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

Year	Team	lvl	LG	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	TB	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	SF	SH
2003	CSC	A	SAL	453	384	70	116	22	6	7	171	46	57	80	38	17	.302	.398	.445	.143	1	1
2003	ORL	AA	SOU	127	105	14	29	8	0	1	40	16	16	25	2	4	.276	.376	.381	.105	2	2
2004	TBA	MLB	AL	177	159	19	41	8	2	4	65	12	15	46	4	1	.258	.324	.409	.151	1	1
2004	MNT	AA	SOU	120	104	21	34	7	1	2	49	15	14	28	3	0	.327	.400	.471	.144	2	2
2004	DUR	AAA	INT	313	264	65	82	17	1	12	137	36	42	72	17	5	.311	.406	.519	.208	4	4
2005	DUR	AAA	INT	631	545	98	165	36	6	18	267	74	78	127	44	13	.303	.393	.490	.187	1	1
2006	DUR	AAA	INT	470	398	72	107	18	4	8	157	41	65	89	46	17	.269	.377	.394	.126	0	0
2006	TBA	MLB	AL	189	175	20	43	5	0	1	51	10	13	40	11	3	.246	.302	.291	.046	0	0
2007	VRO	A+	FSL	24	17	4	4	0	0	1	7	3	5	2	0	0	.235	.409	.412	.176	0	0
2007	DUR	AAA	INT	7	7	1	3	0	0	1	6	1	0	1	0	0	.429	.429	.857	.429	0	0
2007	TBA	MLB	AL	548	474	86	142	25	1	24	241	82	65	154	22	8	.300	.386	.508	.209	4	1
2008	TBA	MLB	AL	640	531	85	145	37	2	9	213	67	97	134	44	16	.273	.383	.401	.128	7	3
2009	PCH	A+	FSL	14	9	1	4	0	0	0	4	2	4	2	4	3	.444	.643	.444	.000	0	0
2009	TBA	MLB	AL	626	560	79	135	33	4	11	209	55	57	152	42	14	.241	.313	.373	.132	3	3
2010	TBA	MLB	AL	610	536	89	127	38	4	18	227	62	67	164	42	9	.237	.322	.424	.187	4	1
2011	TBA	MLB	AL	640	560	82	136	27	4	23	240	81	71	161	36	12	.243	.331	.429	.186	3	2
2012	PCH	A+	FSL	12	11	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	2	0	.091	.167	.091	.000	0	0
2012	TBA	MLB	AL	633	573	79	141	29	3	28	260	78	45	169	31	6	.246	.298	.454	.208	8	4
2012	MNT	AA	SOU	11	10	1	2	0	0	0	2	1	1	1	0	0	.200	.273	.200	.000	0	0
2013	GWN	AAA	INT	12	12	3	4	3	0	0	7	2	0	4	0	0	.333	.333	.583	.250	0	0
2013	ATL	MLB	NL	446	391	30	72	14	0	9	113	26	44	151	12	5	.184	.268	.289	.105	6	1
2014	ATL	MLB	NL	582	519	67	108	19	5	12	173	35	57	173	20	7	.208	.287	.333	.125	2
2015	SDN	MLB	NL	228	205	23	53	12	4	5	88	17	21	62	9	3	.259	.327	.429	.171	0	2
2015	ELP	AAA	PCL	55	50	10	14	2	0	1	19	6	4	12	4	0	.280	.333	.380	.100	0	0
2016	TOR	MLB	AL	165	148	18	29	4	1	4	47	16	14	49	7	3	.196	.261	.318	.122	3	0
2016	SDN	MLB	NL	374	344	46	88	11	2	16	151	45	23	106	20	5	.256	.304	.439	.183	3	1
2017	SAC	AAA	PCL	49	45	4	11	1	0	1	15	4	4	14	0	0	.244	.306	.333	.089	0	0

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%	CSAA
2008	2431	0.4949	0.3937	0.7816	0.6243	0.1678	0.8123	0.6699	0.2184	0.0085
2009	2509	0.5261	0.4209	0.7576	0.6144	0.2061	0.8150	0.5673	0.2424	0.0018
2010	2358	0.5280	0.4538	0.7196	0.6418	0.2435	0.7860	0.5240	0.2804	0.0016
2011	2413	0.5093	0.4646	0.7377	0.6664	0.2551	0.8046	0.5563	0.2623	0.0029
2012	2301	0.4972	0.5111	0.6803	0.7273	0.2973	0.7608	0.4855	0.3197	-0.0019
2013	1715	0.5155	0.4630	0.6562	0.6606	0.2527	0.7055	0.5190	0.3438	0.0026
2014	2195	0.5162	0.4747	0.6603	0.6637	0.2731	0.7074	0.5379	0.3397	-0.0052
2015	869	0.5178	0.4891	0.6706	0.6978	0.2649	0.7420	0.4685	0.3294	-0.0026
2016	2028	0.5232	0.4995	0.6515	0.6824	0.2989	0.6934	0.5467	0.3485	0.0000
Career	18819	0.5138	0.4599	0.7079	0.6607	0.2480	0.7641	0.5491	0.2921	0.0012

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2014-03-08	2014-03-09	Camp	1	0	-	General Medical	Illness		-	-
2013-07-13	2013-08-03	15-DL	21	17	Right	Groin	Strain		-	-
2013-07-02	2013-07-02	DTD	0	0	Left	Forearm	Spasms		-	-
2013-05-14	2013-05-15	DTD	1	1	Left	Shoulder	Contusion	HBP	-	-
2012-05-03	2012-05-04	DTD	1	1	Right	Thigh	Tightness	Quadriceps	-	-
2012-03-26	2012-04-20	15-DL	25	13	-	Low Back	Soreness		-	-
2012-03-15	2012-03-27	Camp	12	0	-	Low Back	Soreness	Collision	-	-
2011-08-22	2011-08-22	DTD	0	0	Right	Shoulder	Strain	Running Into Structure	-	-
2011-07-27	2011-07-28	DTD	1	1	-	Thigh	Tightness	Quadriceps	-	-
2011-05-20	2011-05-20	DTD	0	0	Left	Hip	Strain	Gluteal Muscles	-
2010-07-28	2010-07-30	DTD	2	2	Left	Ankle	Sprain		-
2010-06-30	2010-07-03	DTD	3	3	Right	Thigh	Strain	Quadriceps	-
2009-09-10	2009-09-13	DTD	3	1	Left	Ankle	Soreness	From Last Weeks Sprain	-
2009-09-04	2009-09-07	DTD	3	3	Left	Ankle	Sprain		-
2009-04-19	2009-04-22	DTD	3	2	Right	Thigh	Strain	Quadriceps	-
2009-03-27	2009-04-13	15-DL	17	6	Left	Shoulder	Recovery From Surgery	Labrum	2008-11-11
2008-11-12	2008-11-12	Off	0	0	Left	Shoulder	Surgery	Labrum	2008-11-11
2008-09-09	2008-09-20	DTD	11	10	Left	Thigh	Strain	Quadriceps	-
2008-09-01	2008-09-02	DTD	1	0		Ankle	Contusion		-
2008-05-08	2008-05-08	DTD	0	0		General Medical	Respiratory	Flu	-
2008-05-02	2008-05-04	DTD	2	2	Left	Shoulder	Strain		-
2008-03-21	2008-03-23	Camp	2	0	Left	Elbow	Contusion	HBP	-
2007-07-26	2007-07-26	DTD	0	0		Low Back	Spasms		-
2007-06-09	2007-07-13	15-DL	34	29	Left	Thigh	Strain	Quadriceps	-
2006-08-22	2006-08-23	DTD	1	1	Left	Shoulder	Soreness		-
2006-08-18	2006-08-21	DTD	3	3	Left	Shoulder	Strain		-
2004-06-04	2004-06-06	Minors	2	0	Left	Shoulder	Soreness	Instability	-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2017	SDN	$16,050,000
2017	TOR	$1,000,000
2016	SDN	$16,050,000
2015	SDN	$15,050,000
2014	ATL	$14,050,000
2013	ATL	$13,050,000
2012	TBA	$7,000,000
2011	TBA	$4,825,000
2010	TBA	$3,000,000
2009	TBA	$435,000
2008	TBA	$412,100
2007	TBA	$386,900

Years	Description	Salary
11 yr	Previous	$91,309,000
11 yr	Total	$91,309,000

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
10 y 126 d	Reynolds Sports	1 year (2018)

Details

1 year (2018). Signed by Cleveland as a free agent 12/15/17 (minor-league contract). Salary of $1.5M in majors. Award bonus: $0.1M for Comeback Player of the Year. Released by Cleveland 3/19/18.
5 years/$75.25M (2013-17). Signed by Atlanta as a free agent 11/28/12. $3M signing bonus (paid by 12/31/12). 13:$12.45M, 14:$13.45M, 15:$14.45M, 16:$15.45M, 17:$16.45M. Acquired by San Diego in trade from Atlanta 4/5/15, with Padres responsible for all of $46.35M remaining on contract. Acquired by Toronto in trade from San Diego 7/26/16 with Blue Jays responsible for $5M of $22,275,410 remaining on contract and Padres responsible for the balance. Released by Toronto 4/2/17. Signed by San Francisco as a free agent 4/8/17 (minor-league contract).
1 year/$7M (2012). Re-signed by Tampa Bay 1/17/12 (avoided arbitration).
1 year/$4.825M (2011). Re-signed by Tampa Bay 1/17/11 (avoided arbitration).
1 year/$3M (2010). Lost arbitration with Tampa Bay, $3.3M-$3M).
1 year/$0.435M (2009). Renewed by Tampa Bay 2/25/09.
1 year/$0.4121M (2008).
1 year/$0.3869M (2007). Re-signed by Tampa Bay 3/07.
Drafted by Tampa Bay 2002 (1-2) (Greenbrier Christian Academy, Chesapeake, Va.). $4.6M signing bonus (paid over five years under two-sport athlete provision).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	VORP	WARP
90^o	380	51	91	15	2	12	43	29	102	18	6	.265	.325	.424	99	18.4	2.0
80^o	361	47	83	14	2	11	39	27	99	17	5	.253	.314	.409	91	13.0	1.4
70^o	348	44	77	13	2	10	37	25	97	15	5	.243	.301	.391	86	9.4	1.0
60^o	336	41	73	12	2	10	34	23	95	14	4	.238	.293	.388	81	6.5	0.7
50^o	325	39	67	11	1	9	32	22	93	13	4	.225	.281	.359	77	3.9	0.4
40^o	314	37	62	10	1	8	31	20	91	13	4	.215	.269	.340	72	1.6	0.2
30^o	302	34	59	10	1	8	29	19	89	12	4	.212	.266	.342	68	-0.8	-0.1
20^o	289	32	54	9	1	7	26	17	86	11	3	.203	.254	.323	62	-3.4	-0.4
10^o	270	28	47	8	1	6	23	15	82	9	3	.188	.238	.300	55	-6.5	-0.7
Weighted Mean	328	40	68	11	1	9	33	22	94	14	4	.226	.281	.359	78	4.7	0.5

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with B.J. Upton

BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2016-07-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Please explain in your opinion, what's going on with Byron Buxton. Merely growing pains? (JM from CT)	I don't think it's damning forever, I also don't think it is just growing pains. What I do think is it is just another reminder at how the prospect and internet age has blinded the minor league follower to the patience and attrition that is omnipresent in player development. Buxton has every tool in the book--remember before he just out-tool'd everyone in sight, how people thought it actually might have been a long development path for a rural Georgia athlete? Maybe we can take the glass-half-full view here (admittedly, maybe this is trying to stay rosy) and say that they weren't wrong--it will be a longer path to him polishing up--but the good news is he was just talented enough he didn't start the actual growing pains themselves until he got closer to the big league level. I hope that he's able to find more consistency and tap into that hit tool. He's got a chance to be a special player. Will be interesting to see if he has a Melvin Upton trajectory (just in on-field stats, nothing else) or if the stars align and he's an on-base threat with power, impact speed, and valuable defense. (Adam McInturff)
2016-05-18 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Matt Kemp @ 15M per year is worth a couple minor leaguers, no? Would it be easier to trade Melvin Upton at this point? (AJ Preller from Catalina Wine Mixer)	ITS THE CATALINA WINE MIXER...I don't think you're going to find anyone to take Melvin, sorry. The "never count out Dave Stewart" caveat applies here tho. You never know with Arizona. (George Bissell)
2015-06-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Dear Mike, Melvin Upton has been unfairly cast into his brother's shadow. I think he could upgrade the Cubs' outfield defense. What about you? Thanks! (Paul Reuschel from Ireland)	He probably could, but his bat doesn't play. He'd be a decent defensive replacement/pinch runner, but I can't see the Cubs (or most teams) taking that contract on for that role. (Mike Gianella)
2014-08-06 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Would you agree that Mike Trout needs to take some tips from B.J. Upton to improve his swing and break out of his slump? (Jake from Baltimore )	I would disagree with you because Mike Trout is really good at hitting and B.J. Upton is really bad at hitting, but I see your point though! (Cespedes Family BBQ)
2014-01-29 19:00:00 (link to chat)	From a fantasy perspective, what is Byron Buxton's floor? Is it B.J. Upton with maybe a better avg? In general, people seem to be against giving up good MLB talent for him, but if that's his floor, and his ceiling is best in baseball, then why not? Smart baseball people are saying he's a generational talent and even if he only reaches 75% talent that's better than most players out there. If a whiff on him still produces pre-2013 B.J. Upton there's a ton of guys already in the MLB I'd be willing to trade for his upside. (The Dude from Office)	I think his floor is higher than Upton - he has a much better hit tool, and he's faster. I'm beginning to wonder if his floor is Andrew McCutchen or 2011 Jacoby Ellsbury or something. He's absurd. (Ben Carsley)
2014-01-21 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you buy low on B.J. Upton this year? And how low (say in an NL only auction 5x5)? (higgsboson from guelph)	I'd stay away from Upton but obviously in an NL-only you can't say that. My NL-only bid on Upton is $13 at the moment. (Mike Gianella)
2013-04-04 11:00:00 (link to chat)	Realistic ceiling for Lewis Brinsonis, Chris Young or B.J. Upton? (TPX2 from Taiwan)	I really don't know yet.. It's very early. People love to comp Brinson to other black guys in baseball. He's just as likely to end up as the next Craig Gentry or Drew Stubbs. I think he is going to be a very good defensive center fielder, and I like the potential with the bat. He might not be a big average guy, but he has excellent raw pop. The full-season level will tell us more. Its still so early in the process. (Jason Parks)
2013-02-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Highest WAR this season: Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, Kate Upton? (J.R. from South Bend)	Kate's road numbers, especially in Antarctica give her a huge edge. Justin right there, though. (Paul Sporer)
2013-02-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I disagree about Hamilton. He is a Cooperstown talent who was derailed. Jeter was excellent at 37 years old and I believe Hamilton is capable of an MVP season at that age. He'll be a free agent again when he's 37. On the other hand, I would rather have a 12 pack of Charmin than a 28yr old B.J. Upton. (Free_AEC from New Jersey)	I'm not sure Jeter is a good comp for anyone. He's a 37-year-old Hall of Fame shortstop. Those are exceedingly rare. Hamilton isn't Jeter. He's an amazing talent, but clearly a flawed one, both personally and professionally. His defense has started to decline, his approach is as impatient as they come or at least close. In short, you don't have to go far to find his flaws. For this year and next I'd love to have Josh Hamilton on my team. Beyond that things get iffy. In any case, I don't think the problems with the Phillies can be solved by adding Josh Hamilton. He puts them past the Nationals or the Braves. (Matthew Kory)
2012-11-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you see the Reds doing anything on the offensive side this offseason? I expect Todd Frazier to be the 3b, but what happens at SS, CF, and LF? (Rockford from Flowmont)	Thanks for stopping by, Rockford. After watching GABP help Ryan Ludwick to turn back into a serviceable everyday player, I think the Reds will go with a low-cost option in left, and possibly just bring back Ludwick if his price tag doesn't bloat too much. I also wouldn't expect them to give up on Zack Cozart so quickly, especially because he did amass 1.4 WARP last year, even with a .288 OBP. Given the depth of the outfield market, there might be a center fielder who fits the Reds' budget, so that's the position I think Jocketty will be most tempted to address. If Angel Pagan, B.J. Upton, and Michael Bourn all price themselves out of the Reds' range, Shane Victorino might be an intriguing option. (Daniel Rathman)
2012-10-16 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Best value in upcoming FA class? Who will be big sleeper of FA class? (jlarsen from chicago)	Just quickly scanning the list, Angel Pagan looks like he could be a good value for a team that needs an outfielder but wants to spend a little less than it would take to get Hamilton, Swisher, Bourn, or B.J. Upton. We'll be writing about and ranking free agents right after the World Series is over. (Ben Lindbergh)
2012-09-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I don't disagree with your assessment, but that would suggest they could go after BJ Upton to play CF. And it seems to me they already have about 4 guys that bat just like that. Would that worry you? (Charlie from Nationals Review)	You can do a lot worse than B.J. Upton in center field. If you have eight hitters like him, you'll probably win a fair amount of ballgames in the National League (assuming you can pitch at all). (Colin Wyers)
2012-08-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What's the market for free agent to be B.J. Upton? He's such a confounding player and I suppose at this point he is what he is - but it only takes one team to dream on the tools, and he's still relatively young. What kind of a contract do you foresee? (Rob from Alaska)	I wish I knew. I've been asking people about him (and Josh Hamilton) all year and no one seems to have any idea what either player's next contract is going to look like. Upton has nearly 1,000 games under his belt and I think there are some that believe there's still some upside in his bat. He's established himself as a .240/.320/.420 hitter over the last few years, but I wouldn't be surprised if the second half of his career is more impressive than the first. Such a gifted player. (Bradley Ankrom)
2012-07-11 12:00:00 (link to chat)	What are your thoughts on either Desmond Jennings or B.J. Upton bouncing back after the break? I own both and am willing to sell one of them low for some much needed pitching help. Do you see either of them getting on base more often or hitting for much power? (OPS as 6th category) (GTW from Right Coast)	Upton can't make any contact these days. 24 K's in his last 59 AB (40% rate) and he looks awful doing it. Jennings is chasing high fastballs again (go use the new feature on the player cards to check it out!) - I'm hoping to write both up for an article at DRaysBay tomorrow. (Jason Collette)
2012-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Does a big year from B.J. Upton in any way change the Rays plans for 2013 and beyond? He's not quite the Carl Crawford type, expected to pull in a huge deal, and the team that wanted him in center the most the last few seasons now has Bryce Harper in tow. (Marc from The Internet)	If anything, a big year decreases his likelihood of returning. The Rays have tried extending Upton multiple times, dating back to his days in the minors. If it was going to happen, it would've happened by now. If Upton does have a big year, I could see a team falling in love with him as the M's did with Adrian Beltre back in the day. People have been predicting a breakout season for Upton long enough that it might only take one big year to convince someone he's made the leap. As for the Rays outfield situation, I'd still anticipate Brandon Guyer being the benefactor. That could and likely will change between now and next opening day, but that's just how the depth chart is set up right now. There are some around the league who think Guyer could become an everyday player. (R.J. Anderson)
2012-02-02 15:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm generally not a believer in the contract year phenomenon, but could you see that happening for B.J. Upton? One of the big criticisms has always been focus and effort, and if nothing else the lure of a big payday should keep his eye on the prize. A marginal factor for others, it could be bigger for him. Buying it? (Rob from Alaska)	I've read enough research to believe that the contract year phenomenon is a myth, at least on a global basis. However, there are always guys who excel in their contract year, as much as there are some who tank. Which way Upton will go is anyone's guess... I don't think anyone's figured out the psychology of performance well enough to know if the promise of a big free agent payoff will make any difference in his performance. (Cory Schwartz)
2011-06-29 13:30:00 (link to chat)	Gut feeling: Rays going to buy or sell at the deadline? Or both? (Jake from Kalamazoo)	Both. I'm certain they will trade B.J. Upton but still try to win because they can plug Desmond Jennings in at center and try to trade for relief help and another bat with the money they save by trading Upton. (John Perrotto)
2011-01-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Marc, need to keep one Lowrie, B.J. Upton or Grady Sizemore. Leaning towards Upton but the strike outs are killer and Grady has a bad knee. (scottziegler from Wisconsin)	Sizemore can surely be had as a redraft given his troubles. I would go with Upton here if it's a straight fantasy league. If it's more of a realistic game like Scoresheet, maybe Lowrie. Upton could be a SB machine with some power and plenty of runs. He was worth almost $16 last year in mixed and $25 in AL-only. (Marc Normandin)
2010-07-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What kind of package could the Nats get from the Rays for A. Dunn? (mwyche from Silver Spring)	From Mike Rizzo's perspective, it would be Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson and maybe B.J. Upton. Sounds to me like he wants the moon. I don't have a good answer for this, honestly, not having a KG-like encyclopedic knowledge of the Rays's sytem, but if I were the Rays, I wouldn't give up any top prospects. And I say that as a guy who adores Adam Dunn -- but I'd rather bank on their own guys hitting better down the stretch than give up something really valuable for Dunn. (Ken Funck)
2010-06-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm completely confused by B.J. Upton. He seems better than last year, but not so much that you could envision a return to 2008 - much less the progression from 2008 that seemed so logical given his age and tools base at the time. Care to make any proclamations? (Rob from Alaska)	Given that he's on my Strat team and I expected a bounce back and now it's not here I'm more than confused. I'm angry! What's worse is he doesn't appear to be improving at all mechanically, and it's tough to pinpoint what he's doing wrong. He's not even on the status of a bust that is still performing well -- he's just not performing period. (Eric Seidman)
2010-05-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	The Rays have been great so far, but there are a few red flags which need to be addressed. Their DH is an abomination and most of the lineup has an aversion to getting on base at anything approaching a healthy clip. What do you see them doing to rectify these issues before they bite them on the rump? Bring up Jennings? Release Burrell? Seems they have Blalock raking in AAA, but that hardly seems a realistic solution. (tommybones from brooklyn)	As noted in to day's Hit List, the Rays haven't been hitting much lately, with B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena and Pat Burrell mired in some dreadful slumps. I think the first two will come around just fine in time, but Burrell looks pretty cooked. Bringing up Jennings might help, certainly more than Blalock would -- unless they trade him to the Yankees or Red Sox with a mandate that he be THEIR designated hitter. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi Marc - thanks for the chat. Grady Sizemore is finally at least showing signs of life, with two hits in three of his last five games. Is this the beginning of a turnaround? I asked Clay about Grady last week, and Clay expressed concern that Grady may never revert to his former self after what he went through last year. Do you agree or do you have a more optimistic outlook to offer me? :) Thanks! (mikeduin from Seattle)	I thought enough of Grady to splurge on him at auction this offseason, so I have faith he'll revert to form. These things take time sometimes (see: B.J. Upton). (Marc Normandin)
2010-03-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How much of a 'meh' outfielder is Kubel as your third OF if the alternatives are BJ Upton, Chris B. Young, Julio Borbon, and maybe Jason Heyward if he lights the world on fire. (Aaron from YYZ)	B.J. UPTON! There is no other choice. Upton's a four-star guy who, if he rebounds as much as I think he can, could be potentially a fiver. (Marc Normandin)
2010-01-19 15:30:00 (link to chat)	Will B.J. Upton be terrible or wonderful this year? There seems to be no in-between. (Playwright22 from Baltimore)	If you accept his excuse that his shoulder wasn't right all year, then you have to believe he's going to be better. We'll also see what kind of competition Desmond Jennings gives the Rays outfielder this year. (Steven Goldman)
2010-01-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi, Marc. Thanks for chatting. B.J. Upton seems the most volatile of all position players--he could win you a championship or send you tumbling down the standing stairs. What do you make of him for 2010? (Playwright22 from Baltimore)	I'm still on the Bossman Junior Hype Train, but there are plenty of seats left in the carriage. I'm encouraged by the fact that he played all of 2009 hurt--sure, it screwed up the fantasy seasons of loads of owners and made my rankings look exponentially worse, but at least it wasn't because he's not good. If he's healthy in 2010--and this far after surgery he better be--I still expect him to be a source of power and speed that is hard to match in center, plus he'll pick up plenty of R or RBI. It won't matter if he hits for average in this scenario, but if could at least keep it in a decent range it would be appreciated. (Marc Normandin)
2009-10-05 16:00:00 (link to chat)	Got a gut feeling on B.J. Upton for next year? (Rob from Alaska)	I'm really stumped. His career has been rather atypical so far. But I do know, per a commercial I see every 10 minutes on the MLB Network, that he and Justin will be sure to continue being each other's biggest fan. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I need some help returning my fantasy team to its former glory, and I hear you're the man to do it. We're in a 6x6 Head to Head league, and get 6 keepers - name your 6: Wright, Howard, Holliday, BJ Upton, J. Upton, CC Sabathia, J. Lester, M. Wieters, M. Cain (dtwhite from Toronto)	Ooh, lots of good options. I like Wright for his well-roundedness, Justin Upton for being Justin Upton, Sabathia and Lester because that would give you two excellent aces for each week in head-to-head (ZOMG double starters weeks). After that it's a little iffier. Holliday has a great bat, Wieters is young and talented but unproven at the major league level, and B.J. Upton is having a hard time coming back from that shoulder problem, at least offensively. You could probably trade Howard for a better keeper pick, assuming someone in your league overrates him, no? (Marc Normandin)
2009-09-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Should the Ray look into trading B.J. Upton as opposed to Carl Crawford in the offseason with Desmond Jennings on the way? It just seems like even with Upton's shoulder issues as an excuse for his poor play that he never really took it upon himself to make the adjustments that could make him a standout as opposed to someone who has tons of potential. He SCREAMS Delmon Young to me. (Tim from Tampa)	Or, even with his poor bat this year, he's been worth a few wins this year because of his fantastic defense in center. Plus, what could you get for Upton given his poor bat as of late? I would give it another year to see what happens--he's still young. You could pull back more by dealing Crawford. Upton was worth almost five wins in 2008, despite the bat issues. (Marc Normandin)
2009-07-13 14:00:00 (link to chat)	At what point do you ascribe significance to 1st half/2nd half splits (thinking Cano, LaRoche, etc), beyond mere coincidence? Who are some players you think will perform far better in the 2nd half than they did the 1st? (Drew from Ohio)	I don't, basically. As far as second-half improvers this year, give me B.J. Upton, Howie Kendrick and John Lackey. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think the Rays are primed for a second half surge? Their record is way below their run differential. (Rob from Brighton)	Yes, I do. They had a lot of injuries, the bullpen was sorting itself out, and B.J. Upton missed the first eight weeks with a strained talent. They still beat up the league. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-06-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	B.J. Upton hit a 420+ foot homerun a few nights ago. Is the power coming back? (ODB from Pittsburgh)	He's been a league average hitter the past month or so, which isn't exactly what we're looking for but is much better than what he was giving us when he started the year. Hopefully this is a step towards being as awesome as we know he can be. C'mon B.J., your brother is starting to pick it up. Put a poster of Billy Ripken up on your wall for motivation or something. (Marc Normandin)
2009-06-03 15:00:00 (link to chat)	How long can Joe Maddon wait before getting B.J. Upton out of the leadoff spot? It seems like that even with Longoria's ridiculous year so far that the production could be even better if they had someone in the leadoff spot who could get on base. (Tim from Tampa)	Agreed. As somebody who's had labrum surgery myself, it seems pretty apparent that Upton's not fully back yet. I know there was a lot of emotional incentive to get him back for the home opener with all of the fanfare that entailed, but to me it's quite obvious that they rushed him. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-05-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey, Will. Thanks for the chat. I hate to ask, but do we know that B.J. Upton is physically okay? He's seeing crazy amounts of fastballs and can't seem to catch up to 92 down the middle. Is this part of the expected recovery period? I feel like he's had enough at bats that we can't use 'extended spring training' as an excuse any longer. (Jake from Seattle)	I do think his bat looks slow and that the shoulder is the easy excuse. Thing is, Hanley Ramirez didn't have this problem. Was Upton's damage/surgery more extensive? Possible. Is he just a slower healer? Possible. I don't think Steve Phillips is right that he's a fluke. (Will Carroll)
2009-05-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Give me some reason to still be optimistic about B.J. Upton this year. Any reason will do. (Hombre X from Parts Unknown)	He's ridiculously talented and still learning the game in many ways. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-11-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Why is everyone ready to give up on Weeks at 2B when he finally showed improvement? Every defensive metric I can find shows him as roughly average last year. I watched the majority of the Brewer games and in the first half I would have said he was at least average defensively, he did slip a bit in the second half though. If Weeks can't handle 2B then there are at least 7 or 8 other full time 2B that should be moved as well. Durham was MUCH worse out there than Weeks, if the ball wasn't hit right to Durham he didn't get to it. (EnderCN from Milwaukee)	Because his offense isn't developing, and there's a notion--one I can get behind--that he's stagnating as a player in part because of his inability to master second base. He seems to have the tools to play center field, the Brewers could use a CF, and maybe the move would get his bat started again. The parallels to B.J. Upton are pretty clear. The Brewers exercised Mike Cameron's option. I still think you could run Weeks out to center and look for a trade with Cameron or Hart. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-11-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey Joe, I love your work, but throw away comments like this: "Because his offense isn't developing, and there's a notion--one I can get behind--that he's stagnating as a player in part because of his inability to master second base" cause me to scratch my head. What would lead you to believe that Weeks' inability to defend has a negative effect on his hitting, or that switching to an arguably harder position would increase his offensive production? Is there any evidence that supports players switching positions and then producing more at the plate? (Steve from NY)	No studies. Scads of ancedotal evidence. B.J. Upton, Craig Biggio come immediately to mind. Paul Molitor, maybe. We know that Weeks hasn't hit as expected. We know that he's struggled to master second base. We know that he has tools that might translate to center field. There's risk, sure, but there's upside as well. I'd rather take a shot with the position change. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-10-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Is B.J. Upton the Eli Manning of the MLB postseason? (Tony from Brooklyn, NY)	If I knew anything about football, I could tell you. But I don't. Seriously, I was talking to a friend the other day and we realized that I could name ONE college football player. ONE. And it was Quan Cosby because he used to be in the Angels system. (Kevin Goldstein)
2008-10-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think sometimes speed is deceptive? I'm thinking of B.J. Upton here. He seems to glide in center field, but that seems to be more a product of his stride than anything else. That just seems to be how he runs rather than him holding back a few gears. (Rob from Brighton)	That's why we have stop watches. I think even more poorly graded is outfield play, where some guy makes a diving play and ends up on SportsCenter, where if the guy really was a good outfielder in would have been just a hum-drum decent running catch. (Kevin Goldstein)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Isn't B.J. Upton supposed to be hurt? Does he still need the surgery? (Tim from Portland, OR)	He is and he does. Minor thing. Hanley Ramirez played pretty well before and after that surgery. Upton and Ramirez were both supposedly "bored" in the minor leagues and the way they step up at big times kind of reinforces that intangible. (Will Carroll)
2008-10-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Rickie Weeks has to be better than this right? (Neal from Joliet, IL)	I have no idea at this point. What I do know is that he's not a second baseman, so let's take that off of his plate, give him a shot in center field and see if that changes everything. B.J. Upton is the model here. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-07-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Could the decrease in the upper cut of B.J. Upton's swing be related to his shoulder injury from earlier in the season? (Tommy from Outsperswing)	That's a possibility for sure. It may be something he's unconsciously failed to get rid of, even if his shoulder isn't bothering him as much anymore. He's been progressively worse month by month though, so I'm not positive that's the case. (Marc Normandin)
2008-03-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	So how did the Rays go from projected 83 wins to 89 wins now? Is this a change in the projection system, or a change in the Rays (or in their opponents)? (collins from greenville nc)	That's a great question, and in this case it has a pretty simple answer. On the first version of PECOTA that we do each year, we make a very simple assumption about a team's defense -- namely, that the defense will be the same as it was last year, regressed to the mean last year. The Rays had a very, very bad defense in 2007, involving experiments like Brendan Harris playing shortstop, B.J. Upton playing second base, and Delmon Young playing center field. So, that was flowing through into the ERAs of each of the pitchers. But in the second version of the PECOTAs, we instead project defense based on the individual defensive projections from our depth chart starting lineups. And we actually expect the Rays to have a slightly above average defense this year, particuarly given the addition of Jason Bartlett. So this turned out to make a huge difference at the margins. And there's a hidden benefit too, which is that it actually increases the innings pitched projections for the starting pitchers, which means fewer innings from the back end of their bullpen. (Nate Silver)
2008-01-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	there was a debate that started on a ray's blog and carried over to a yanks blog .. who has more value and who would you rather have going forward B.J. Upton playing CF for you or Robbie Cano manning 2b? (glenihan from nyc)	I'd say Cano because of his position. However, it wouldn't be by a wide margin. (John Perrotto)
2008-02-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Will - tell me what to expect from B.J. Upton this year. Seems like he is knocking on the door of monster land. 40-40? (MDM from Glendale, MO)	I'm not sure if Brandon Phillips is on Upton's comparable list, but I think Upton has that kind of talent, if he applies himself. (Will Carroll)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2010-10-06 10:00:00	2010 Playoffs Day One	I still like B.J. Upton a lot, Christina, but I've backed off from my superstar status. He is devoured by pitchers with dominating fastballs much too easily, and it's going to keep his batting averages consistently low. (Marc Normandin)
2010-10-06 10:00:00	2010 Playoffs Day One	B.J. Upton's out just like that, and I'm wondering if anyone's still left on that "he's a superstar starting NOW" bandwagon from two Octobers ago. (Christina Kahrl)
2009-06-09 14:30:00	2009 Draft Coverage	One of the great things about being at BP is having great help just a few keyboard clicks away. I asked Rany, who did his fantastic series on draft history, if he remembers a draft that was better 11-20 than 1-10. Rany jumped into action for me, and found just one in 15 years: 2002. Top Ten: B.J. Upton, Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder, Jeff Francis. 11-20: Hermida, Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir, Nick Swisher, Cole Hamels, James Loney, Denard Span. The best example is 1994, where Garciaparra, Konerko and Varitek went 12-14. Needless to say, the top 10 that boasted Paul Wilson, Ben Grieve, Todd Walker and Jaret Wright wasn't as good. (Bryan Smith)
2008-10-22 16:30:00	World Series Game One	But America really does welcome him. He tests very well you know. Announcers in a national event like the World Series are not here for fans of the game like you, me or most of the readers. B.J. Upton just made up for not hustling down the line. (Kevin Goldstein)
2008-10-22 16:30:00	World Series Game One	Hey from St. Pete. Music is top-40/rhythm, or whatever they call that format these days. With cowbell. Project #1 for the Trop Dome people this offseason: make the turf look better. It's not a bad playing surface, but in person and on TV it looks like something I played on at age 15, like B.J. Upton is sidestepping dog stuff and broken glass to make plays. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-10-10 13:30:00	Friday LCS	Steve say: "Will: Bossman Junior is what the initials "B.J." in B.J. Upton stand for. His real first name is Melvin, and his father was known as "Bossman". As a self-described Rays freak, I'd thought you'd have known this." I'd never heard this. Charles Barkley's shaking his head and saying "turrible." (Will Carroll)

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC