Alfonso Soriano, left fielder and DH for the New York Yankees, started playing professional baseball in Japan in 1996. Two years later, he was signed as a free agent by the Yankees. After just a short time in the minor leagues, the Yankees called him up in 1999 to play with the team. He played, however, in just nine games with the Yankees that year and only 22 games in 2000.
Justin Upton, left fielder for the Atlanta Braves, was drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2005 and he made his first appearance in a D-Backs uniform in August, 2007. In 140 at-bats that season, he batted only .221, with 2 home runs and 11 RBIs. Upton didn't show his potential until 2009, when he batted .300, with 158 hits, 30 doubles, 26 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.
Angel Pagan, center fielder for the San Francisco Giants, originally signed with the New York Mets. In 2006, the Chicago Cubs bought his contract from the Mets before he ever had the chance to play with New York. He played for two years with the Cubs, but only partial seasons due to injuries. In January, 2008, Pagan was traded back to the Mets. He played in only 31 games that year and finished the season with a .275 batting average.
Adam Jones, center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles, started his major league career as a shortstop with the Seattle Mariners in 2006. Later, he was moved to the outfield. Jones played two partial seasons with the Mariners before he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 2008 season. In his first year with Baltimore, Jones played in 132 games and finished the season with a .270 batting average, with 9 home runs, 21 doubles and 7 triples. He also had 10 stolen bases.
Jacoby Ellsbury, center fielder for the Boston Red Sox, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2005 and he made his first appearance with the Boston team in Spring training in 2007. He spent several months in the minor leagues before being called up by the Red Sox in June, 2007 to replace an injured Coco Crisp in center field. Ellsbury played in only 33 games with the Red Sox in the 2007 regular season but his numbers were impressive. He batted .353 with 3 home runs and 18 RBIs and an OBP of .394. His postseason numbers in the division championship and World Series were even better: .360 average with .429 OBP.
Jeff Francoeur, right fielder with the Kansas City Royals, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2002 and he first wore a Braves uniform in July, 2005. He started his career in his first game with his first major league hit, a three-run home run. Francoeur continued swinging his bat and hitting the mark in his first season, ending with a .300 batting average, 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. In 2006, Francoeur's batting average dropped to .260, but he hit 29 home runs and drove in 103 runs. He also excelled in defense and stamina, playing in all 162 Braves games of the season.
Andre Ethier, right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was first drafted by the Oakland A's in 2001. However, he opted for a college education first and, after 2 years at Arizona State University, he was again drafted by the A's. After two years of playing in the minor leagues for the Athletics, they traded him to the Dodgers in December, 2005.
Carlos Beltran, right fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, began his professional baseball career in 1995 when the Kansas City Royals drafted him. He played in the minor leagues until September, 1998 when he was called up to the majors. Beltran started the 1999 season in the choice leadoff batter position and playing center field. He played so well in his first year in the majors that he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. Beltran ended the 1999 season with a .293 batting average with 22 home runs, 108 RBIs and 27 stolen bases.
Alex Rios, right fielder with the Texas Rangers, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999 and he played successfully for several years on Toronto's minor league teams. He finally had his first at-bat in the majors in 2004. In his rookie year, Rios played in 111 games and batted .286 with 122 hits.
Kelly Johnson, second baseman and outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, was first drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2000 and he joined the Braves in 2005. He played in the outfield that first year, replacing injured regulars in the line-up. Johnson ended his first season with the Braves with a batting average of .241 with 9 home runs in 290 at bats.