On Monday, October 16, former Major League Baseball player B.J. Upton will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for game six of the 2026 ALCS at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. 

Upton’s return to Tropicana Field

The first pitch Upton will make at Tropicana Field will not be the first time he stepped foot onto the playing surface. 

The former center fielder and third baseman played at the ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2004 to 2012. 

With the Rays, he had a .255 batting average, 118 home runs, and 447 RBIs in eight seasons. Upton also finished with 232 career stolen bases, which is the second most in Tampa Bay's history behind only Carl Crawford.

The 42-year-old was the first ever Tampa Bay player to hit for the cycle. He did so on October 2, 2009, against the New York Yankees. In a 13-4 win for the Rays, Upton went 5-for-5 with six RBIs. He also scored three runs in that game. 

Prior to that historic moment, Upton was a part of the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays team that went to the World Series. That was Tampa Bay’s first American League pennant in franchise history. 

During that 2008 season, Upton finished with a .273 batting average, nine home runs, and 44 stolen bases. He was second in the American League in stolen bases that season behind Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury. Upton also had 37 doubles and 67 RBIs during Tampa Bay’s historic 2008 season. 

After winning the American League pennant, the Philadelphia Phillies went on to beat the Rays in the 2008 World Series. After Upton’s ceremonial first pitch on October 19, the Rays have a chance to make it back to the World Series for the third time in franchise history. They are up 3-2 in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians. 

Upton’s time in the MLB after Tampa Bay

After Upton’s final season with the Rays in 2012, he signed a five-year, $75.25 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. He played for Atlanta during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. 

In April 2015, Upton was traded from the Braves to the San Diego Padres along with relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel. 

Upton was traded again just over a year later in 2016 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The end of the 2016 season marked Upton's final appearance in Major League Baseball. He officially retired in January 2019. 

For more MLB news: https://worldbaseball.com/news/category/mlb