B. J. Upton

Melvin Upton, Jr., American baseball player

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Born: August 21, 1984
Age in 2026: 42
Zodiac sign: Leo
Birth year: 1984

About B. J. Upton

Melvin Emanuel "B. J." Upton Jr. (born August 21, 1984) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays. Upton has played with his brother, Justin Upton, as members of the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres. They are the only two brothers in MLB history to be selected in the No. 1 and 2 slots of the draft (in separate years). The Upton brothers are also the first brothers to both hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season. == Early life and amateur career == Upton was born to Melvin and Yvonne (née Gordon) Upton. Yvonne worked as a teacher and Melvin worked variously as a scout for the Kansas City Royals, a mortgage broker and a college basketball referee in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after playing both college football and basketball at Norfolk State. Before high school, Upton played on the same travel baseball team as several other MLB players, including Mark Reynolds, David Wright, and Ryan Zimmerman.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

In 2002, Upton was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America, batting.641 (50-for-78) with 11 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and 32 RBI during his senior year at Greenbrier.
From the crack of the bat, Upton reacted to it as a home run, dropping the bat and casually jogging down the first base line.
He made his major league debut on August 2, 2004, less than three weeks before his 20th birthday, becoming the youngest Ray ever and the youngest player in the major leagues in 2004.

B. J. Upton timeline

2002In 2002, Upton was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America, batting.641 (50-for-78) with 11 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and 32 RBI during his senior year at Greenbrier.
2004He made his major league debut on August 2, 2004, less than three weeks before his 20th birthday, becoming the youngest Ray ever and the youngest player in the major leagues in 2004.

The world when B. J. Upton was born

B. J. Upton was born in 1984. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1984

#1 song"When Doves Cry" – Prince
Top movieAmadeus
Top TV showDynasty
Best-selling bookThe Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentMary Lou Retton wins Olympic all-around gymnastics gold
Top headlineBhopal gas disaster in India kills thousands
Technology milestoneApple Macintosh launches with revolutionary GUI
Defining fadBreakdancing
Notable inventionApple Macintosh
World population4.77 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderRonald Reagan
Sports championDetroit Tigers (World Series)
Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
U.S. population235.8M

1984 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in B. J. Upton's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1984	2026
Gas	$1.13	$3.45/gal
Average home	$72,400	$435,000
Average income	$26,433	$67,500
Minimum wage	$3.35	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$3.36	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.20	$0.73
Population	235.8M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MLB. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.