Interview with BJ Upton

[bigh0rt]

Matt: Last season, you really broke through offensively at the MLB level as you were always expected to. One concern was your high strikeout rate (32.5%), is this something you will be looking to improve on in 2008? Is there anything you have done in the offseason to try and work on this?

[b]B.J./b] I mean you definitely want to improve on it. I definitely don’t want to strike out that many times. You know I think, if I have the same exact season that I had last year and the strikeouts are still there, then I think its just something that I am gonna have to work with. But you definitely want to improve on it, and I just gotta swing the bat a little bit more this year, and we will see where that takes me.

DRays Bay | FULL INTERVIEW

[Grounded Polo]

I remember letting him languish in my minor league system in my keeper for 3 years and probably would have dropped him if I didn't take him #1 overall. I can only imagine how much I would have been crying during the 2007 season if I did that.

Hopefully he can get his strikeouts down and play a full season, his talent is pretty limitless really.

[MTUCache]

I can't decide if this guy is going to end up being the #1 2B in the league this year or if he's going to turn into a human windmill.

I'm leaning towards the latter.

Also... mock draft last night, I saw Justin Upton get drafted with the last pick in the 11th round.
(Of course, Jay Bruce went in the 14th, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. )

[Yoda]

I have mixed feelings about him this year. His talent is obvious but there are a lot of questions. I think 15/30 is in the bag and having eligibility at 2B/OF is great but still do not know if he is ready to bust out yet.