D'backs rookie Upton already living up to major hype

By Jason Grey, Special to SI.com, FantasyBaseball.com

Granting that when a guy comes close to hitting for the cycle, there will be "oohs" and "aahs" regardless of the prospect status of the player, there was certainly a lot of electricity surrounding Justin Upton's Chase Field debut, especially among scouts.

Upton hit three balls so hard, off three different pitches that the scouts behind the plate were all turning and muttering to each other in an animated fashion. That's not something you see very often. For more than a few, it was their first time seeing him since spring training, and it was for me as well.

You try not to read too much into small sample sizes, but this one game helped put an exclamation point on the Upton hype. The fact is that he was the best hitting prospect in the minors before being called up, and he's also been the best prospect for his age ever since age 12, according to Baseball America.

All Upton did was take a pitcher that has been pretty darn good this season in Tom Gorzelanny, on a night where he's setting a career-high in strikeouts, and rip three of the hardest balls I've seen hit this season. His bat speed is tremendous, and he has his brother B.J.'s speed despite being 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. While he's made some rookie mistakes in the field and on the bases, there is nothing that I've seen that tempers my expectations that he can be a superstar hitter as early as next season, or maybe even these final two months for fantasy teams. In many mixed leagues, he's still out there.

I always hear a lot of talk that certain players "need Triple-A time" or "are not ready" or "are being rushed," and in many cases that's true. I often say these things myself. However, not all hitters are created equal. The truly good hitters, the ones with great potential, don't necessarily need any time at Triple-A for more "seasoning," as some pundits put it.

Andruw Jones has just 45 at-bats at Triple-A before making his major league debut at 19. Teammates Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann both skipped Triple-A. McCann has just 166 Double-A at-bats.

Ryan Zimmerman spent half a season at Double-A before being called up and he's doing fine. Miguel Cabrera also played a half-season at Double-A before storming to the majors.

I'm not the first to make the comparison, but it's an apt one nonetheless. Upton's speed and power remind me of vintage Ken Griffey Jr. All Griffey did was receive just 61 at-bats in Double-A before opening 1989 as the Mariners center fielder at age 19. He hit .264-16-61 that season.

Upton will not be overmatched at the major league level. Yes, he's still out there in many mixed leagues. Grab him now while you can. Keeper league players? Back up the truck to try and get him if you're already playing for next season.

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