News Major League Baseball Justin Upton Named Minor League Player of the Year | Justin Upton Named Minor League Player of the Year |
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| Written by Baseball Watch | |
| Thursday, 06 September 2007 | |
 Arizona Diamondback outfielder Justin Upton has been named the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year. This is the 20th year the honor has been bestowed upon a player, and Upton is the first Diamondback to earn the honor. Upton was called up from Mobile (Double-A) on August 2 for his first big league action.
He saw action in 102 games between Mobile (70) and Visalia (32), batting .320 (122-for-381) with 75 runs scored, 23 doubles, 6 triples, 18 home runs, 70 RBIs, 56 walks and 19 stolen bases. When he made his Major League debut on August 2 at San Diego, he became the youngest Diamondback to appear in a game at 19 years, 342 days old.
Upton's quick ascent to the Major Leagues began in South Bend last year, his first professional season, and continued onto Visalia to begin the 2007 season. For the Oaks, Upton reeled off a 13-game hitting streak from April 17-30, a stretch that saw him bat .531 (26-for-49) with six multihit games, 11 RBIs and a stretch of 5 straight games with a home run. In his second game with Mobile on May 15, Upton's career-high six RBIs was part of his 3-for-5 game, one of his 22 multihit games for the BayBears. The Chesapeake, Va., native has now played in 27 games for the D-backs, batting .223 (21-for-94) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, a home run and 7 RBIs. He was a single away from becoming the youngest player in Major League history to hit for the cycle on August 7 vs. Pittsburgh, going 3-for-4 with double, triple, home run. Upton is the 19th player to have earned the honor, as Atlanta's Andruw Jones was named USA Today's Minor League Player of the Year twice, in 1995 and 1996. He is also the sixth outfielder to garner the honor, as Josh Hamilton was the last in 2000. Last year Minnesota right-handed pitcher Matt Garza was the honoree. Other notable players to earn the honor who would go on to become All-Stars include Mark Wohlers, Tino Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Cliff Floyd, Andruw Jones, Josh Beckett, Jose Reyes, Prince Fielder and Francisco Liriano. |
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