Justin Upton Set To Make The Padres’ Offense Productive At Petco

Listening to the Padres newly-acquired outfielder Justin Upton during Tuesday’s afternoon introduction with teammates Wil Myers, Derek Norris, and Will Middlebrooks, he said all the right things while up on the podium.  However, there definitely appeared to be a bit more besides the excitement of a new opportunity. For Upton, its a chance to make a larger statement to the rest of Major League Baseball and fans of San Diego. 

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Already a superstar in the league, the chance to help turn around an offense that was darn-right terrible in 2014 and show that Petco Park is more than a pitchers ball park.

Padres’ GM A.J. Preller has added two players in Matt Kemp and Upton, who have considerable success at Petco Park over the course of their career. While Kemp has put up a career .322 batting average with 7 homers and 34 RBI as Dodger, Upton has been just as successful, posting a .291 BA, 10 homers, and 19 RBI. 

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In a ball park that has the reputation of considerably hurting a player’s offense, both players have shown this is not the case. Upton was quoted by Padres.com writer Corey Brock, “Everyone says it’s big, but I don’t think so. I think it plays pretty fair. I’ve enjoyed quite a bit of success here. I enjoy playing here. I think the park is great. I think it’s a great park.”

Upton’s right-handed power is certainly something that has been lacking in the Padres’ lineup since Petco Park opened in 2004. Upton’s tremendous strength to all parts of the field plays perfectly to the park’s dimensions, but it will be the homers off the Western Supply Metal Company that will excite the fans.

Yet, his interviews Tuesday showed something a bit more about his character. Upton showed his comfort for being back in the National League West and respect for the Padres organization. Typically a guy who stays out of the spotlight, a chance to make an enormous impact for a team who is showing the rest of baseball that they are anything but a small market club.

However, will Upton only be in San Diego for one year? Many assume that he will more likely receive a huge offer this coming off-season from other teams, but Upton and his agent Larry Reynolds have also expressed that he is open to signing a long-term deal with Padres. For fans, this definitely shows that Upton is committed to making the Padres’ championship contenders and help propel them to their first World Series since 1998.