Major League Baseball

Upton, Crawford becoming MLB's best tandem

Published Jul. 2, 2009 5:02 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Rod Barajas and I have a difference of opinion.

Barajas, of course, is the starting catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. On the first two nights of this week's series at Rogers Centre, he watched B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford combine for three home runs, two stolen bases and four runs scored.




Naturally, the Tampa Bay Rays won both games.

"It's not easy to get those guys out," Barajas said Wednesday morning. "Soft ground balls can be base hits. Once they get on base, they cause a whole bunch of havoc. Pitchers are worried about them. They change their times to the plate. It changes what you're trying to do."

In summation, Barajas offered the following praise/lament:

"Those two guys," he said, "are just a nightmare."

Well, here's where we disagree. From a vantage point in the stands (or press box), there is no more exciting pair of table-setters in the game today. I would probably feel differently if my livelihood involved trying to keep them off the bases.

A little while ago, I wrote that Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder constitute the best power-hitting tandem in baseball. After watching the Rays for three days in Toronto, I have a similar opinion of Upton, 24, and Crawford, 27, among Nos. 1 and 2 hitters.

Wiser men have arrived at similar conclusions.

"I've never seen two athletes like that at the top of any lineup, in the time I've been playing," fellow Rays outfielder Gabe Kapler said. "They are arguably the top two pure athletes in baseball.

"Watching them work, back-to-back, is spectacular. First of all, they're completely different in style. Carl, you can actually see his speed on the field. B.J., it's really subtle, but he's probably just as fast and explosive. Carl is more visual. B.J. is really fluid. It's deceptive, how fast he is.

"They're both really, really fun to watch."

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball