Willie Upshaw

Born: 4/27/1957 in Blanco, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1978-04-09 | Final Game: 1988-09-28

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Willie Clay Upshaw

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Biography

Willie Upshaw was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1978 to 1988. Born in 1957, Upshaw made his mark primarily with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he became known for his power-hitting abilities as well as his versatility on the field. Over the course of 1,264 games, he compiled a total of 1,103 hits, 123 home runs, and 528 RBIs, finishing his career with a batting average of .262. His offensive contributions were complemented by his speed on the bases, where he recorded 88 stolen bases, showcasing a well-rounded skill set that made him a valuable asset to his teams. Upshaw played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the expansion of the game and the increasing competitiveness of the American League. His ability to adapt and perform consistently was indicative of the evolving nature of the game during the late 1970s and 1980s. Known for his strong work ethic and team-first mentality, Upshaw left a lasting impact on the Blue Jays franchise and is remembered as one of the foundational players in the team's early history. His contributions not only helped the team build a competitive roster but also set the stage for the success that would follow in the years to come.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1264	4203	596	1103	199	45	123	528	88	452	642	0.262	0.335	0.419	0.754	4962.5

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .335 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .419 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — +7.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.754 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — +5.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1978	TOR	AL	95	224	26	53	8	2	1	17	4	21	35	0.237	.257 (-8%)	.323 (-8%)	.378 (-20%)	.702 (-14%)	-586.3
1980	TOR	AL	34	61	10	13	3	1	1	5	1	6	14	0.213	.264 (-19%)	.326 (-13%)	.387 (-11%)	.714 (-12%)	-129.2
1981	TOR	AL	61	111	15	19	3	1	4	10	2	11	16	0.171	.255 (-33%)	.320 (-21%)	.368 (-12%)	.688 (-16%)	-318.3
1982	TOR	AL	160	580	77	155	25	7	21	75	8	52	91	0.267	.261 (+2%)	.324 (+1%)	.388 (+14%)	.712 (+8%)	859.8
1983	TOR	AL	160	579	99	177	26	7	27	104	10	61	98	0.306	.260 (+17%)	.324 (+15%)	.389 (+32%)	.714 (+24%)	2842.9
1984	TOR	AL	152	569	79	158	31	9	19	84	10	55	86	0.278	.259 (+7%)	.322 (+7%)	.384 (+21%)	.707 (+14%)	1570.3
1985	TOR	AL	148	501	79	138	31	5	15	65	8	48	71	0.275	.257 (+7%)	.323 (+6%)	.390 (+14%)	.714 (+10%)	1013.8
1986	TOR	AL	155	573	85	144	28	6	9	60	23	78	87	0.251	.257 (-2%)	.325 (+5%)	.395 (-7%)	.720 (-2%)	-46.3
1987	TOR	AL	150	512	68	125	22	4	15	58	10	58	78	0.244	.262 (-7%)	.331 (-2%)	.415 (-6%)	.746 (-4%)	-399.2
1988	CLE	AL	149	493	58	121	22	3	11	50	12	62	66	0.245	.254 (-3%)	.317 (+4%)	.377 (-2%)	.695 (avg)	155.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
7	26	2	6	2	0	0	1	1	4	0.231

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1985	ALCS	TOR	7	26	2	6	2	0	0	1	1	4	0.231

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1094	1016	8939	799	98	845
OF	67	55	95	3	5	2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1978	TOR	1B	10	5	50	2	2	4
1978	TOR	OF	52	43	81	2	5	1
1980	TOR	1B	14	4	51	7	1	11
1980	TOR	OF	1	1	0	0	0	0
1981	TOR	1B	14	3	58	5	0	7
1981	TOR	OF	14	11	14	1	0	1
1982	TOR	1B	155	155	1438	101	17	123
1983	TOR	1B	159	154	1294	117	21	131
1984	TOR	1B	151	151	1246	103	14	133
1985	TOR	1B	147	129	1157	104	10	111
1986	TOR	1B	154	151	1314	131	12	118
1987	TOR	1B	146	135	1169	127	9	114
1988	CLE	1B	144	129	1162	102	12	93