"Prior to 2010, only four center fielders in American League history had at least 60 extra-base hits and 40 stolen bases in one season.

Last year, B.J. Upton became the fifth.

Surprised?

You probably have to answer "yes" to that because he hit just .237 with a .322 on-base percentage. It's hard to imagine an historically good season coming out of that, but it did.

"Just think about those numbers. That stuff plays," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said Monday as Upton joined his teammates during the team's first full-squad workout.

It does lead to the central question surrounding Upton, though. You see both sets of numbers from last season and start to think — what kind of damage could he cause if he could find a way to get on base more consistently?

Say, now for instance.

With the departure of Carl Crawford, the Rays will need all the things Upton can do to come together and sustain if they're to remain in the conversation of serious contenders. Heaven knows the talent is there for that to happen. It does seem like we always say that, doesn't it?

He spent a lot of the off-season working on his hitting stroke. Although he downplayed it as "just tweaking," it signaled an interesting shift in his approach.

"It was nothing earth-shattering by any means. But a problem in the past was trying to do too much and (trying to adjust) during the season," he said. "This year I just went in and tried to simplify it as much as I could."

Hitting coach Derek Shelton has noticed the difference.

"I think the biggest thing is that he'll be in position to be on time (to the ball) more. That's where he has fluctuated back and forth, being in the position to hit," Shelton said. "The adjustments he made have put him in a place where he is on time more and more consistent."

Upton is forever being judged against what people think he should be, but there are details that often get left out. He was rushed to the big leagues before he was ready and was a man without a position, bouncing from shortstop to second before finally landing in center. He has become a dominant defender there."