"B.J. Upton is trying something else this year.

His batting stance is going to look a little different, the product of some slight adjustments after offseason work that included a two-day private tutorial with Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew.

So, too, is his approach, stripped down to the simplest of goals:

Having fun.

"The past couple years have been up and down for me," Upton said. "Have parts of it been fun? Yeah. As fun as I want it to be? No.

"You've got to get over it, put it behind you. I think the main thing for me this year is to have fun. I think everything else is set into place. I know what I need to do. I just need to have fun doing it."

No longer, Upton said, will he allow his failures to torment him, saying, "I can't beat myself down from the neck up."

Nor will he care about the frequent fan criticism, acknowledging, "In the past I've worried about what people have said instead of worrying about the task at hand."

He is not concerned about stepping into a primary leadership role among his Rays teammates, admitting, "I don't want to drive, I like the back seat ride."

And, perhaps most significant, he has decided that the best way to finally post the breakout season that would end the ongoing discussion about his failure to live up to potential is to stop thinking and talking about it.

"Yeah, I was supposed to have that year two years ago," Upton said. "I was supposed to have that year last year. I've gotten to the point where I just kind of block that out and go, 'Go play.'

"It's going to happen. I feel like I'm in a good place right now."

So far, the Rays like what they've seen and heard from their fleet centerfielder."