BJ Upton may be owned in 98.6% of fantasy leagues, but that only makes his bad year even more painful to watch

Bob on 06 8, 2009

What on Earth is wrong with BJ Upton? The Tampa Bay Rays center fielder has struggled miserably at the plate this season.

BJ, or ‘Bossman Junior’ (his original name is Melvin, I might change my name too if it was Melvin, but I don’t think it’d be ‘Bossman Junior’), has only 15 RBI’s to go along with a measly 3 homeruns. The former second overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft has a dismal batting average of .223 so far this season, and to say he is underachieving would be an understatement. To his credit, Upton is errorless in the field and has stolen 17 bases so far.

The speedy outfielder has been criticized for his lack of hustle previously. Tampa Bay’s manager Joe Maddon has disciplined his apathetic center fielder before, and he should consider sticking Upton on the bench again if his play keeps trend. The guy just doesn’t seem motivated.

Fantasy owners have been waiting for the Bossman to break out of his slump, but it has yet to happen. ESPN reports that BJ is 98.6% owned in fantasy leagues, but is he really worthy of a roster spot? I’m starting to think his name should appear on the list of free agents.

Upton was a hero for his ball club in the post-season last year, hitting 7 long balls in the 3 post-season series they played in to help his Rays become American League Champions. If he’s waiting to go on a tear in the post-season this year he might be disappointed. BJ Upton is an extremely important player for his team, and with an AL East division that is so talented, his Rays are going to need him if they have plans on returning to the post-season. He has got to step his game up.

I think it’s fair to say that BJ Upton is overrated. He had a great year in ’07, going yard 24 times, batting in 82 runs and swiping 22 bags, but his production is steadily decreasing. He hit only 9 homers and 67 RBIs last season, and ESPN projects 9 HRs and only 46 RBIs for this 2009 season. Those are pretty mediocre numbers if you ask me.

Upton has a boatload of talent, but it’s starting to become clearer that he is too much of a head case. There are plenty of professional athletes whose mental midget syndrome drastically puts a damper on their production, and Bossman Junior is a prime example of this. My guess is he is suffering from chronic jealousy because of his younger brother Justin, whose emergence is one of the better stories in the MLB this season. Maybe he should take notes.