Justin Upton

Justin Irvin Upton is a professional baseball player from the United States of America. A right-fielder, he attended the Great Bridge High School where he was the designated All-District Team shortstop. He won the AFLAC National High School Player of the Year award. The brother of B. J. Upton, Justin played for the A-South Bend Silver Hawks after being picked in the MLB Amateur Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 2007, he was with the A-Visalia Oaks but with a batting average of .341 and 5 homers, he immediately moved up to the AA-Mobile BayBears. At 19, he was called up to the Diamondbacks after regular right-fielder Carlos Quentin suffered an injury. Justin debut came three years, to the date, after his brother's debut with the Devil Rays from Tampa Bay.

A shortstop originally, Upton moved to the centre-field as Stephen Drew already covered the position for the Diamondbacks. However still, on his debut, Upton played right-field as Chris Young was manning the centre. In August 2007, Upton almost became the youngest player ever to hit for the cycle when he fell a single short of getting there.

Comparisons with Ken Griffey Jr. are not uncommon when it comes to Justin Upton and he is widely regarded as the best 20-year old in the MLB. At Chase Field, Upton walloped a 484-foot home run off of San Diego Padres' pitcher Josh Banks. The shot remains the second longest in Chase Field's history.

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