| Christopher Reina. 22nd August, 2007 - 11:09 am
 Teenager Justin Upton has become Arizona?s everyday rightfielder as they attempt to make the postseason for the first time since 2002.
Upton?s sample size is fairly small as he was an August call up. He is hitting just .246, but has a slugging percentage of .456, thanks largely to his three triples and three doubles. His OPS of .751 is the highest of any active player as a teenager.
*Plate appearances in parenthesis
Justin Upton: .751 (61)
Ken Griffey, Jr.: .749 (506)
B.J Upton: .733 (177)
Andruw Jones: .708 (113)
Gary Sheffield: .695 (89)
Adrian Beltre: .647 (214)
Ivan Rodriguez: .630 (288)
Alex Rodriguez: .609 (208)
How do these numbers compare to some of the greatest teenagers in history?
Jimmie Foxx: .911 (190)
Whitey Lockman: .891 (148)
Tony Conigliaro: .884 (444)
Mel Ott: .861 (740)
Fred Brickell: .836 (60)
Johnny Callison: .821 (71)
Mickey Mantle: .792 (386)
Cesar Cedeno: .791 (377)
Ron Fairly: .765 (60)
Harry Chiti: .765 (158)
Upton is certainly no Jimmie Foxx, nor is he a Mel Ott or even a Cesar Cedeno, but he is amongst very elite company when it comes to modern players who burst onto the scene as a teenager. With the exception of Beltre (who was second in MVP voting in 2004) and his brother B.J., every player on the list has been named to multiple All-Star games.
It is very rare for a teenaged player to be given a chance to play like Upton has, as only the above eight active players have seen 60 or more plate appearances.
By the way, Upton turns 20 on Saturday. |
