Justin Upton

36-Year-Old OutfielderOF

Free Agent

2024 Stats

AVG

.000

RBI

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RBI

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

There was no outlook written for Justin Upton in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.

RANKSFrom Preseason

Overall

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man No

Height 6'3"

Weight 205

DOB 8/25/1987

Drafted 1st Rd 2005

Optioned, elects free agency

OFFree Agent

July 22, 2022

Upton elected free agency after being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

ANALYSIS
Upton saw sporadic playing time over the last few weeks and will lose his spot on the active roster after Kyle Lewis (concussion) was reinstated from the injured list Friday. Upton hit just .125 with a homer, three RBI and two runs over 17 games with the Mariners but will attempt to seek out other options as a free agent.

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2021 MLB Game Log

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2020 MLB Game Log

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2019 MLB Game Log

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Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2022

+8%

OPS vs LHP

2024

No Stats

2023

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2022

+8%

OPS vs LHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022vs Left	.484	26	1	1	1	0	.125	.192	.292
Since 2022vs Right	.448	31	1	0	2	0	.125	.323	.125
2024vs Left	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2024vs Right	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023vs Left	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023vs Right	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2022vs Left	.484	26	1	1	1	0	.125	.192	.292
2022vs Right	.448	31	1	0	2	0	.125	.323	.125
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Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2022

+99%

OPS at Home

2024

No Stats

2023

No Stats

2022

+99%

OPS at Home

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022Home	.673	23	2	1	1	0	.158	.304	.368
Since 2022Away	.339	34	0	0	2	0	.103	.235	.103
2024Home	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2024Away	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023Home	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023Away	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2022Home	.673	23	2	1	1	0	.158	.304	.368
2022Away	.339	34	0	0	2	0	.103	.235	.103
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Justin Upton See More

Todd's Takes: Altitude and Attitude

July 16, 2022

Todd Zola breaks down Friday's box scores and offers a reminder of just how tough it is to pitch at Coors Field.

FanDuel MLB: Saturday Targets

July 16, 2022

Chris Bennett suggests getting Justin Verlander into your lineups if at all possible against lowly Oakland and their league worst .261 wOBA against righties.

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

July 3, 2022

Erik Siegrist reviews the free-agent pool in the American League as top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino gets his first look at big-league pitching with the Royals.

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

June 19, 2022

Erik Siegrist looks over the AL free-agent pool as Riley Greene headlines a trio of promising young hitters arriving in or returning to the majors.

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

May 22, 2022

Erik Siegrist reviews the available talent in the American League and suggests grabbing the Mariners' Kyle Lewis before his season debut Monday.

Latest Fantasy Rumors

Could be promoted soon

OFSeattle Mariners

June 16, 2022

Upton could receive a promotion to the Mariners soon, reports Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle.

ANALYSIS
Mariners' president of baseball operations Jerry DiPoto indicated that Upton is beginning to get his timing down at the plate and could join the big-league club shortly. Upton joined Triple-A Tacoma at the beginning of the month after being cut by Arizona and has hit .200/.280/.376 with two homers in 51 plate appearances. He's shown improvement lately, going 5-for-12 in his last three contests. While Upton's .713 OPS over the past three seasons is nothing to write home about, the Mariners' right fielders have combined to produce a paltry .603 OPS this season, and Upton likely would be an improvement over a Taylor Trammell/Dylan Moore platoon.

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

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While Upton is still worthy of donning an MLB uniform, he has nosedived the past five seasons, with his OPS going down each year (.911 OPS to .705). He has not been able to stay healthy (89 games last season). His strikeout rate was close to a career high (29.6%). His ISO dropped under .200 for the first time in nine years. The strikeouts and a BABIP around .250 have his batting average hovering around .200 the past three seasons. With all the negatives, he was still able to hit for power (18.3% HR/FB, a career-high 116.5 mph maxEV). If he were able to stay on the field, he would pace for about 30 homers. Additionally, he's been able to pick his spots on the bases, stealing four bags in five attempts in 2021. He was designated for assignment by the Angels in early April, and even if he finds a new landing spot, it's just going to be tough to roster him without a huge bench since his talent is borderline. Assuming he finds another major-league roster spot, consider him a late option who can be moved on from quickly if there's another injury.

While Upton's final 2020 stat line is far from pretty, he did show signs of life at the tail end of the campaign. The veteran looked to be a lost cause midway through the season, posting an ugly .103/.173/.235 slash line through Aug. 24. However, the veteran slashed .291/.385/.582 with six homers in his final 23 games. The overall picture is one of an aging slugger who no longer offers any sort of speed -- for the first time in his career, Upton failed to steal a single base last season -- but who can still hit the ball hard and go on an occasional hot streak. In fact, Upton's 91.7 mph average exit velocity ranked in the 87th percentile. That's not to say Upton should be a target in traditional mixed-league fantasy drafts, but he can still offer some value as a plug-and-play reserve and as a fourth or fifth starting outfielder in AL-only leagues.

Last season was mostly a lost year for Upton as he began 2019 on the injured list with turf toe and ended the campaign back on the IL with an ailing right knee. In between, Upton played in only 63 games, falling far below his career norms with a .215 batting average and .416 slugging percentage. Upton's Statcast numbers suffered similar declines as his 87.2 mph average exit velocity and 6.6 Brls/PA were both four-year lows. While Upton's struggles can largely be linked to his injuries, the fact remains that he is 32 years old and coming off a pair of lower-body injuries that made him a non-factor on the basepaths in 2019; he stole only one base in two tries after swiping at least eight bags in each of the previous 10 seasons. With a return to health, Upton could put up decent power numbers in 2020, but his value will be greatly diminished if his days as a stolen-base threat are indeed behind him.

Though he’s swapped uniforms four times over the past five years, Upton has seen little change in his overall production. Over that stretch, he’s logged at least 600 plate appearances each season and has finished with no fewer than 25 home runs, 75 runs, 80 RBI and eight stolen bases. While Upton’s first full season in Anaheim saw him reach the lower end of most of those benchmarks, the underlying numbers suggested there’s been little degradation in his performance at the dish heading into his age-31 campaign. His walk and strikeout rates were roughly in line with his career marks, while his 43.8% hard-hit rate and 8.3% barrel rate both placed him in the top 30 among all qualified batters. Upton’s activity on the basepaths should gradually tail off now that he’s on the wrong side of 30, but another season of useful power production combined with a non-toxic batting average looks attainable.

There's little upside in drafting Upton at this point, but you know what you're getting. The 30-year-old has been extremely durable throughout his career, totaling at least 620 plate appearances in each of the last seven seasons, and the fluctuation in that time in terms of quality of performance has been marginal. His strikeout rate has been elevated over 28 percent in each of the past two seasons, and indeed the batting average seems destined to fall back (.341 BABIP, .244 xBA), but it shouldn't fall off a cliff as Upton has been hitting the ball harder and he boosted his walk rate back up to over 11 percent in 2017. The flyball rate has been stable, and he ran more after the move to Anaheim at the waiver trade deadline, which bodes well as he re-upped with the Angels on a five-year deal shortly after the season ended. Best of all, Upton is now batting behind Mike Trout in the order, so his third career 100-RBI season could be in the cards.

The 2016 campaign was a tale of two seasons for Upton. From April through July, he hit .239/.294/.405 with 13 homers, 50 runs and 46 RBI in just over 400 plate appearances. Upton then went on to hit .258/.341/.584 the rest of the season with 18 homers, 31 runs and 41 RBI in just over 200 plate appearances. Overall, it was Upton's best home-run total since 2011 and his numbers were mostly in line with where they have been in seasons past, save his on-base percentage. A career-low .310 OBP cut into his stolen-base opportunities and some of that was due to the early struggles as well as a career-worst walk rate of just eight percent. He turns 30 this year, so the power should stay while the steals may be gone. Upton needs to make more contact to get back to helping with average, otherwise, he's a decent three-category player with more name value than real value.

Upton went to his first All-Star game in four years as a move to San Diego hardly put a damper in his production. He hit 26 home runs to post his third-straight 25-homer season and came just one steal away from his third career 20-20 season. But Upton also reached 150 strikeouts for the third straight year, and his .251 batting average was a career low. Upton’s best season remains his 2011 campaign, when he hit a blistering .289/.369/.529 and mashed 31 home runs for the Diamondbacks. Between San Diego and Atlanta, Upton played in two of the most difficult parks for right-handed pull power hitters. He's stuck in another pitcher's park long-term after signing a six-year deal with Detroit in the offseason, but the talent around him is significantly better than it was at his last few stops, so the run and RBI totals could tick up.

Most owners didn't profit much from Upton's production in 2014, but they got their money's worth. He supplied 29 homers (.221 ISO), good enough for fourth in the NL, and drove in a career-high 101 runs while slightly improving his average and matching his stolen base total from 2013. The 27-year-old also set a less distinguished career high with 171 strikeouts (26.7% K%), matching his brother's number and joining him in the Braves' record books for most strikeouts in a single season. Upton walked less (9.4% BB% from 11.7%) and finished with a .169/.233/.325 batting line in September, but he's a proven fantasy commodity at this point and should garner significant interest on draft day yet again. His move to Petco Park after an offseason trade to the Padres figures to result in a downgrade in power production for Upton (17.9% HR/FB with Atlanta), but his presence in the middle an improved lineup should help his counting stats.

Upton's first month in a Braves uniform was the stuff of legends, as he clubbed a whopping 12 home runs in April and appeared to be headed for a career year. Over the next three months of the season, however, Upton managed just four home runs. He got hot again in August, and finished with a team-leading 27 big flies, but it was at times a frustrating season for his fantasy owners. After recording 18-plus steals in each of his previous four seasons, Upton attempted just nine steals in 2013, as manager Fredi Gonzalez played it safe on the basepaths, and his strikeout rate jumped dramatically from 19.3 percent to 25.0 percent. By no means was it a terrible year for Upton, but he didn't live up to his price tag, and his 17.9 percent HR/FB rate is likely unsustainable. Moreover, a rebound in batting average is not necessarily a lock, as his BABIP was still above .320.

When Upton injured his left thumb sliding into second base in April, most fantasy owners probably figured he would quickly recover from the seemingly minor ailment and promptly return to elite status. Instead, the injury seemed to bother him throughout the season, despite the fact that he was able play in 150 games. The .430 slugging percentage Upton delivered was the lowest of his four seasons in the big leagues, but he still managed to get on base at a good clip (.355) while picking up 18 steals. His numbers after the All-Star break (.817 OPS, 10 of his 17 homers) and more specifically, in September (.301/.354/.544 with six homers and four steals) suggest that he started to feel better as the season progressed. For the second straight offseason, trade rumors swirled around Upton, but he's still just 25 years old and the underlying skills here still suggest 30-homer and 20-steal potential with his return to health.

Upton put all of the pieces together and stayed healthy enough to play 159 games last season. The result was the breakout campaign many had tabbed Upton for following his age-21 season, as he delivered career-highs in every standard rotisserie category other than batting average. Further, Upton eased concerns about the shoulder injury that slowed him in 2010 with the heavy workload while showing considerable skills growth in the form of a 10 percent improvement in his contact rate (79 percent). Thanks to a fast-track path to the big leagues as a 19-year-old in 2007, Upton is now 24 with over 2,000 career at-bats. He slugged .561 after the All-Star break on the strength of 16 homers over 244 at-bats and if he's able to maintain that level of power over a full season, we could be looking at 40-plus homers in 2012.

Upton's health undoubtedly played a role in his regression last season, as he fell from 26 to 17 homers despite playing in just five fewer games than he did in 2009. New general manager Kevin Towers was willing to listen to trade offers for the young right fielder during the offseason, but nothing materialized. In addition to the lost power, Upton's contact rate dipped to 69 percent even though his walk rate improved to 11 percent. He opted for rehab during the offseason rather than surgery, so all signs point to 100 percent health at the start of spring training. Don't lose sight of the fact that Upton will still be just 23 when Opening Day rolls around in April, so there's still a great deal of growth potential even after he's racked up 1,517 career big league at-bats.

There were plenty of things that went wrong for the D-Backs in 2009, but Upton was one of the few bright spots last season as he produced at elite levels despite turning just 22 years old in August. After striking out in nearly one-third of his at-bats as a rookie, Upton significantly improved his contact rate from 66 to 74 percent while increasing his power output to swat 26 homers. Touted as a complete five-tool prospect upon being drafted first overall in 2005, Upton didn't disappoint, flashing good speed on the basepaths (20 steals) and checking in as one of the league's better defensive right fielders. He should only continue to get better, with the potential for more power and better overall production ahead if his selectivity at the plate continues to improve.

Considering that he spent most of his first full season in Arizona as a 20-year-old, we're willing to give Upton a pass for his inconsistent production. After an impressive start in April (.340/.385/.577, five homers and 15 RBI), Upton slumped badly before an oblique injury knocked him out of the lineup for most of July and August. Upton raked at Chase Field with a .321/.407/.632 line along with 12 homers and 32 RBI, but struggled tremendously on the road with a .169/.291/.271 line with three homers and 10 RBI. Overall, Upton demonstrated the ability to draw plenty of walks and get on base at a good clip (.353) despite struggling to make contact while adjusting to major league pitching. We'd also be surprised if he doesn't become more active on the basepaths in 2009, as he already boasts 20-steal speed and the D-Backs are expected to emphasize the running game. Don't be scared off by the disappointing overall numbers, as there's still a ton to like here as he continues to fulfill is potential.

Upton's teammate Orlando Hudson may have said it best when he nicknamed the 19-year-old phenom "The Franchise" and proceeded to say that Upton has 10 tools instead of the standard five. His numbers across High-A, Double-A and the majors last season are outstanding given his age, while the long-term upside here is simply: superstar. By all indications, he'll be the everyday right fielder and should be an immediate 20-20 threat, as a 20-year-old. Upton is an elite talent, so don't be shy about bidding the extra dollar or nabbing him a round early on draft day.

Upton is one of the 10 best prospects in the game, and already in the outfield, so he'll avoid some of the issues that have hampered his brother's development. He has superstar, Griffey-level talent, and if you're in a position to get him in keeper leagues, run, don't walk.

The Diamondbacks took Upton, a supremely talented five-tool player, with the first overall pick in the 2005 draft. Arizona will likely start Upton out at shortstop in a short-season league in 2006 before determining if he or Stephen Drew will change positions in the long term.

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