(After a haitus due to working night basketball games for the Watertown Recreation Department's Men's Summer Basketball League recently I have had time to write a few of my thoughts about the Red Sox.)
Ten years ago there were the Derek Jeter-Nomar Garciaparra comparisons to decide who the better shortstop between the two rivals was. Now with the New York Yankees in a tailspin and the arrival of the Tampa Bay Rays playing competitive baseball in the American League East, there comes a new comparison in the division.
B.J. Upton was drafted with the second pick of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by the, then, Devil Rays as a shortstop. Like all Tampa Bay prospects, who preceded him, he quickly rose through one of the league’s best farm systems to make his Major League Debut two years later (8/2/2004). But the Rays all ready had a veteran shortstop in Julio Lugo so Upton was moved to third base.
After spending the first three years of his major league career as an infielder, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon decided to conduct an experiment. When a nagging hamstring injury landed previous centerfielder Rocco Baldelli on the disabled list, Maddon made the executive decision to start Upton in centerfield. Upton was an infielder and had all ready won the starting second base position in spring training but he made the transition to the outfield. And the transition has, so far, worked out well for the Rays with Upton in center and Akinori Iwamura replacing him at second.
Upton is no longer considered an infielder playing the outfield. He has turned himself into one of the best centerfielder’s in the league and it spurns the debate of who’s better, him or his AL East rival in Boston, Jacoby Ellsbury.
They are easy players to compare because they share many of the same qualities. Upton is a tall, lanky six-foot three-inch base stealing threat while Jacoby Ellsbury leads the league with 41 steals in 2008. When they are in the game, they change the game for their respective teams. But what separates Upton from Ellsbury is Upton’s ability to hit for power and his above average fielding.
Many centerfielders will play back to prevent balls from going over their head for extra bases but Upton plays a shallow centerfield. Due to his years as an infielder, Upton is very comfortable going back on the ball and matched with his incredible speed, he can play in more than other “natural” outfielders. Therefore, it is very difficult for opposing batters to drop a single in front of him.
Although it has been a disappointing season for Upton offensively in 2008, he still has managed to exceed Ellsbury in the Triple Crown categories as well as the categories deemed important by the Red Sox. Upton has outplayed the apparent, Red Sox “phenom” hitting at a .265 clip, eight homeruns and driving in 59 RBIs in 125 games for the division leaders. Compare that to Ellsbury’s .262 average, seven homeruns and 39 runs batted in, only, 120 games.
In the Rays line up, Upton has spent much more time in the number three slot in the order but he is the prototypical lead-off hitter. Just because a player has tremendous speed like Ellsbury does not mean he is a productive lead-off hitter. There is the old adage “you can’t steal first” and it is most definitely the truth. The lead-off batter is supposed to be able to get on base and set the table for the two, three and four hitters. It helps to have great speed in the first spot of the order but it is not essential.
In 91 games in the top spot, Ellsbury is hitting .253 with a .311 OBP, a .335 SLG and .646 OPS. Compare that to Upton’s .350 average, .381 OBP and 1.081 OPS from his small number of appearances from the lead-off position this year. The Rays centerfield has constantly improved offensively from the top portion of the order and has made himself into one of the best impact hitters in the game.
Recently Upton has been on the national spotlight due his antics on the field resulting in two benchings from Maddon. But those have been resolved by the Upton and Maddon with Maddon commenting that his player’s antics were a result of “a mental mistake.” Upton also issued an apology to his teammates for possibly becoming an unnecessary distraction for the first place team. He has a good head on his shoulders and understands his actions could have major ramifications for his team and the future of baseball if he does not play the game the correct way. (More on that subject in an article written in 2007. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jones/070412 )
Comparison between Upton and Ellsbury:
| B.J. UPTON | | JACOBY ELLSBURY |
| .265 | BA | .262 |
| 8 | HR | 7 |
| 59 | RBI | 39 |
| 73 | RUNS | 74 |
| 122 | HITS | 117 |
| 30 | DOUBLES | 13 |
| 2 | TRIPLES | 4 |
| 85 | WALKS | 35 |
| 118 | STRIKE OUTS | 71 |
| 37 | SB | 41 |
| .375 | OBP | .326 |
| .390 | SLG | .359 |
| .765 | OPS | .685 |
| PERSONAL INFORMATION |
| Melvin Emmanuel Upton | FULL NAME: | Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury |
| 8/21/1984 | DOB: | 9/11/1983 |
| Norfolk, VA | BIRTHPLACE | Madras, OR |
| None | COLLEGE | Oregon State |
| 2002 – 2nd Overall Pick | DRAFT | 2005 – 1st Round Pick |
| One brother – Justin Upton | SIBLINGS | Three brothers – Matt, Tyler and Spencer |
