Sleeper of the Week

BJ Upton may only be 19, but don’t expect Tampa Bay’s prize shortstop prospect to spend the next couple years honing his skills in the minors. If he keeps attacking AAA pitching at his current pace, it’s highly likely that the #2 overall pick of the 2002 draft will receive a call-up later this season.

Last year, Upton batted .297 between A-ball Charleston and AA Orlando, with a 73/105 BB/K ratio and 40 steals. He only hit eight home runs in 130 games, but still managed an OPS of .821. His power should develop before too long, however, allowing him to turn many hits now falling in for doubles into home runs, and completing his transformation from five-tool prospect to five-category fantasy contributor.

Upton may in fact already be showing signs of adding power to his arsenal. In his first 15 games at the AAA level alone, he hit five round-trippers, better than one every twelve at bats, and compiled a 1.055 OPS over that span. Clearly, those games are too small a sample to draw significant conclusions from, but it’s nonetheless a positive sign.

BJ Upton should be considered a blue-chip prospect in keeper formats, and once he’s called up, may even be worth a flyer in deep single-season leagues for teams in need of middle infield help. Shortstops who tear up the basepaths and can hit for power and average simply don’t come along too often…