Five things to know about Melvin Upton
The Blue Jays traded for veteran outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. of the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.
Here are five things to know about the 31-year-old Virginia native:
1. USED TO BE B.J. UPTON
Up until last season, Upton was known as B.J., which stood for “Bossman Junior.” His father, whose given name is Melvin but often went by Manny, was nicknamed Bossman.
Last season, Upton announced that from now on he would be going by his birth name, Melvin Jr. At the time it was viewed as an attempt at reinvention after two dismal seasons with the Atlanta Braves, but Upton said it was because his original nickname had become irrelevant.
2. BOUNCE-BACK SEASON
Drafted second overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2002, Upton was considered a prodigious talent with a rare combination of speed and power.
Over parts of eight seasons with Tampa he glimpsed the lofty heights promised by his skill set and was at least an above-average outfielder, if not an all-star. Then, after signing a five-year, $75 million (U.S.) contract with the Atlanta Braves in 2013, his career took a nose dive and he was dealt to San Diego last year as part of a salary dump.
This season, however, he has returned to form and is on pace to reach the 20-20 plateau — in terms of home runs and stolen bases — for the fourth time in his career and first since 2012.
3. UNDER CONTRACT
Upton, who turns 32 next month, is owed a combined $22 million for the remainder of this season and next, but the Jays will reportedly only be on the hook for approximately $5 million as the Padres agreed to offset much of Upton’s salary. The extra year of control is a key part of the trade for the Jays, who currently only have one of their starting outfielders under contract for next season. Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders are both free agents and may not be around next year, so the acquisition of Upton ensures they will at least have one spot covered.
For now, he can serve as a defensive replacement in one of the corner spots, while also allowing Saunders and Bautista to occasionally serve as designated hitter.
4. SWIFT THIEF
In the last 10 years, only five players have swiped more bags than Upton. He has 20 stolen bases already this season — the eighth time in his career he has reached that mark. He stole at least 30 bases in five straight seasons from 2008 to 2012. The Jays have only 32 stolen bases this season; Kevin Pillar leads the team with eight. Upton was never a good defensive centre fielder, but he is much better in a corner spot. This season, he is tied for the third-most defensive runs saved among left fielders.
5. STRIKES OUT
Since 2007, Upton’s first full season in the big leagues, only three players have struck out more: Mark Reynolds, Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn.
A major reason Upton is included among those whiff-masters is because of his terrible years in Atlanta, when he struck out in a whopping 32 per cent of his plate appearances.
Since then he has lowered his Krate somewhat, but this season is still striking out in 28.3 per cent of his plate appearances, which ranks as the 10th-highest mark in the majors. Manager John Gibbons says he plans to use Upton primarily against left-handed pitching, against whom he has a .913 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this season, compared to a .687 mark versus righties. Ironically, Upton has a higher strikeout rate against lefties, whiffing in almost one-third of his plate appearances.