Rays 2009 player preview: B.J. Upton

January 8, 11:49 PMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

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Will the real B.J. Upton please stand up? Who is this guy? There is no question he has all the tools to be one of the best players in the game. He’s showed he can do it all, yet not all at the same time. Is 2009 the year Upton puts it all together?

We know he can hit for power – he blasted 24 homers in 2007 and in the 2008 playoffs went on a homer binge jacking seven out in 11 playoff games before the World Series.

Although he has yet to hit for a high batting average, Upton has one of the best batting eyes in baseball. He’s drawn 162 walks over the past two seasons, contributing to an on-base percentage above .380 both years. His .383 OBP in 2008 was good for seventh in the AL.

He can steal bases too. He was second in the AL with 44 steals in 2008, finishing behind Jacoby Ellsbury of Boston. He was thrown out a league-leading 16 times though. He needs to learn the art of base-stealing rather than just being a speed-burner out there. Most of the time, his world-class speed is enough to get him by. If he learns how to read pitchers and make adjustments, however, he will be absolutely devastating on the bases.

Upton can definitely ‘D’ it up with the best of them. He is quickly becoming one of the best centerfielders in all of baseball, using his incredible speed to cover an amazing amount of ground out there. It’s not over when he gets to the ball either. Upton, a former shortstop, has a cannon of a right arm and displayed it often in 2008, finishing second in the AL with 16 outfield assists. Just ask Shane Victorino about Upton’s arm. Upton gunned him down at the plate quite impressively in Game One of the World Series.

Upton will still only be 24 years old on Opening Day, so he is still a kid out there. He has the talent to eventually contend for MVP awards and should begin doing so sooner rather than later. His lack of hustle is well-documented, so I’m not going to go into it right here. I trust that Joe Maddon is working hard to keep Upton properly focused and will succeed in doing so. Beyond that, health is the only other issue and if Upton can stay injury-free he should elevate his game to superstar level.

I already set one goal for Upton in 2009 – involving hustle and infield hits. Upton should add a couple of more goals to his list, though. Making the All-Star team is well within his reach, as is the Gold Glove Award. Does Upton have the desire and intensity necessary to take his game to the next level? I think he will come through.

My 2009 prediction: .285 BA, 30 HR, 101 RBI, 108 R, .391 OBP, 99 BB, 39 SB, .514 SLG.

The lineup is still up in the air, but after watching the 2008 playoffs, I believe Upton is a 30-30 guy no matter what spot he hits in the lineup, and he has the potential to go 40-40 one of these years. What a talent! The Rays need to lock him up ASAP.

Upton on baseball reference

Upton on fangraphs

Upton on retrosheet

I always love your comments and you can e-mail me at raysexaminer@live.com