In return, B.J. has rewarded the D-Rays for their faith by rapidly progressing through the farm system. He is poised to make his Tampa debut very soon.
Upton turned in a very successful 2003 despite some early season struggles with the Low-A Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League (SAL).
During his first month as a pro, B.J. was hitting .219 after 31 games with 38 strikeouts. After May 10th though, he really turned it on by batting .352 with only 38 strikeouts in his last 70 games for the RiverDogs.
B.J. hit safely in 57 of those 70 games at Charleston. He never went back-to-back games without a hit. He was promoted to AA Orlando on Aug. 1, skipping High-A Bakersfield altogether.
He finished 2003 hitting .297 with 30 doubles, 8 HR, 62 RBI, and 40 stolen bases in 130 games, and has not slowed down since.
The 19-year old Upton began the ‘04 season with the AA Montgomery Biscuits, where he batted .327 with 15 RBIs and two home runs before a mid-May promotion to Durham.
He is the youngest shortstop since A-Rod to play at the Triple-A level. Upton has continued smacking the ball, hitting .303 with 7 homers in 31 games for the Bulls.
“Offensively he’s done a really nice job here,” says Durham Bulls Manager Bill Evers. “He takes a very professional attitude towards the game and comes to the ballpark ready to work.”
B.J. has shown the ability to hit for average and has raw power that will continue to develop as he matures. He already possesses the rifle arm and blazing speed that every scout drools over.
The only question mark really remaining for Upton comes on defense, as he led the minors with 56 errors last season.
“He’s making good strides defensively, and continues to work every day at it,” says Evers. “He understands that he needs to get better and become more consistent.
“I think it’s just a matter of learning which hops he can come get and which he can stay back on.”
The skipper is confident that Upton’s glove will soon become just as well rounded as the rest of his game. He feels that with more time and experience in the field his defense will improve and he will be an all-star caliber major leaguer for many years to come.
“I think he can be a very, very good player in the big leagues for a very, very long time,” says Evers.
B.J. Upton’s potential, much like his skills, are seemingly endless, making him the MLN Fab50 number one draft pick.
