Player Profile: My street accident, B.J. Upton

Welcome aboard, Mike!  Great to have you on the team.

Mike Cameron is a very underrated fantasy player… Especially if your league uses CF eligibility.

Well Upton got off to an awful start this year, but since the beginning of June he hasn’t been that bad.

He’s hitting around .260 since June, but I think he’s biggest problem is that he’s trying to turn himself into a 40 home run a year guy, and that’s just not going to happen.

Upton loves that low-inside pitch.  But what happens when you get a low outside pitch instead?

Answer if you try to upper cut pull it, your going to wind up flying out to right field, which is exactly what B.J. Upton is doing this year, and for his entire career for that matter.  Check his hit chart if you don’t believe me.

He hasn’t forgotten how to hit the changeup.  Pitchers have just figured out he’s probably going up to the plate looking for that low inside fastball every at-bat.  So they give him the low outside change up, he’s early on it, and he flies out to right.

If he ever wants to be anymore then a .270 hitter with some power, he needs to learn how to be a hitter to all fields, instead of trying to be Mark McGwire.

Otherwise, he’ll be a very good player, may even make an all-star team or two in his career, but he’ll never be considered an elite outfielder, and I think that’s the far more likely route he’ll take for his career.

For fantasy owners in a keeper league.  He’s a nice player to have, but he’ll probably never be somebody who you will be able to build a team around.  He’s a tremendous athlete though, and there’s definately going to be people out there, where that’s all they’re going to see.  I’d look to trade him.  You’ll get a much better package in return then he will ever provide you with.