Justin Upton, best defensive right fielder in baseball?
Aug 18, 2011, 10:02 PM | Updated: 11:14 pm
We all know about how Justin Upton has improved at the plate, as his numbers there have put him in the MVP conversation.
However, according to a report on Yahoo.com, it’s Upton’s work with the glove that may win him the award.
The tipping point in his favor might be defense. Upton is the best defensive right fielder in baseball, according to Ultimate Zone Rating. Only Tulowitzki is as dominant at his position, arguably the most important on the field.
That’s right, a player who is ragged on for his follies in right field is actually the best in the Majors at his position.
While Upton has a tendency to occasionally misplay a ball, as his baseball-leading 11 errors would attest to, his speed allows him to cover more ground and his arm allows him to challenge runners on the bases.
So, while the D-backs’ right fielder does make mistakes, he makes up for it by getting to more baseballs than anyone else who plays the position.
