Justin Irvin Upton (born August 25, 1987 in Norfolk,
Virginia) is a Major League Baseball right fielder
for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was selected first
overall by the Diamondbacks in the 2005 major league
draft. He was previously an all-district shortstop
for Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake,
Virginia, and was awarded the AFLAC National High
School Player of the Year Award. He is also the
brother of Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J. Upton,
who was taken #2 in the 2002 draft. In his first pro
season he played for single-A South Bend Silver
Hawks. He began 2007 with the High Class-A Visalia
Oaks, but was promoted to the AA Mobile BayBears
after hitting .341 with 5 home runs for the Oaks in
April.
On August 2, 2007, Upton was called up to the big
league team at the age of only 19, following an
injury to everyday right fielder Carlos Quentin. He
later made his major league debut exactly three
years after his brother B.J. made his for the Devil
Rays.
Upton was originally drafted as a shortstop, but was
later moved to center field because the Diamondbacks
already had Stephen Drew at the position. When he
was called up, the Diamondbacks had star rookie
Chris Young at center field, so Upton shifted to
right. He will most likely begin the 2008 season as
the Diamondbacks' starting right fielder.
Upton recorded his first career major league hit and
run scored on August 4, 2007, in his third major
league game. His first career RBI came the next day,
and his first career home run two days after that.
He almost became the youngest player ever to hit for
the cycle on that day, falling just a single shy of
the milestone.
In 2008 Spring Training, Upton hit over .300 with
three home runs, 12 RBI, and four stolen bases,
earning the starting right field job over Jeff
Salazar. Manager Bob Melvin stated that Upton has a
"very high ceiling" and that it "wouldn't surprise
him" if he had a great 2008 season.
Scouts rave about Upton's talent, and he is often
compared to current star Ken Griffey, Jr. Baseball
Tonight's Peter Gammons recently stated during an
episode that a major league general manager recently
told him that "Upton was the best 20-year-old he's
ever seen."
