Former BayBears outfielder Justin Upton is the first Diamondbacks Minor Leaguer to be named the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year. The 19-year-old Upton has played 27 games in the Major Leagues with the Diamondbacks, after being called straight to the Majors from Mobile on August 3rd, 2007.
Upton played in 70 games for the BayBears, batting .309 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI’s. He hit a home run in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Futures Game on July 8th, and was named a Southern League All-Star. The Chesapeake, Virginia native was also named the Mobile BayBears Player of the Year.
Upton was the first overall pick of the 2005 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Diamondbacks, and reached the Major Leagues in just his second professional season, after spending 2006 at Single-A South Bend.
Previous winners of the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award include Major League All-Stars Andruw Jones, Josh Beckett, Carlos Delgado and Prince Fielder. The BayBears open their 2008 season against the Carolina Mudcats at Hank Aaron Stadium on Thursday, April 3rd. The 2008 schedule is available by visiting mobilebaybears.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement