The American League Championship Series is returning to Tropicana Field and with it, the Rays will bring back another of the franchise’s greatest players to toss out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.
Earlier this postseason, the Rays have already called upon Kevin Kiermaier, Carlos Pena, and Carl Crawford to throw out the first pitch and now they’re bestowing the honor upon BJ Upton.
The Rays drafted BJ Upton with the 2nd overall selection of the 2002 draft. The franchise accelerated Upton through
the system and had him make his big league debut just over two years later at just 19-years old. Despite his young age, Upton displayed offensive potential but his defense needed serious improvement.
Upton spent the entirety of the 2005 season and most of the 2006 campaign in Triple-A before making his way to the big league roster for good starting in 2007. With this advancement, Upton found a new home in center field where he showcased plus defense due to his elite speed and arm strength.
Over the next six seasons, Upton would be an above average offensive player and stellar defender. From 2007 through 2012, Upton hit .255/.338/.430 with 113 HR and 217 stolen bases, registering a 110 wRC+ and accruing 22.7 fWAR (3.8 fWAR per season).
Upton was an integral part of the Rays 2008 American League pennant run, providing the team with a historic offensive performance in the postseason as tied the record for most RBI in the ALCS and launched 7 HR during the playoffs. During game two of the 2008 ALCS, it was BJ Upton who lifted the walkoff sacrifice fly that tied the series for the Rays. At the end of the 2012 season, Upton became the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.
Following his departure from the Rays as a free agent following the 2012 season, Upton signed with the Atlanta Braves and eventually played for the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, last playing in 2017 in the San Francisco Giants minor league system; Upton officially retired in 2019.
At the end of play in 2026, Upton currently ranks 5th among Rays position players all-time in fWAR, 6th in homeruns, and 2nd in stolen bases.
