The parallel careers of Virginia-born MLB sluggers Willie Horton and Justin Upton

Willie Horton was born in Arno in Southwest Virgina; Justin Upton was born in Norfolk in the Tidewater region.

Besides being natives of Virginia, the former Major League Baseball sluggers had a lot more in common:

• both were right-handed hitters who began their career as outfielders then were used as a designated hitter at the end of their playing days.
• both were four-time All-Stars but never in back-to-back years. The first All-Star nod came eight years after the first – for both Horton and Upton.
• both played for six MLB teams.
• both played for the Detroit Tigers – Horton from 1963-1977, and Upton in 2016-2017. (Geographic note: Arno, an old mining town, is almost as far west as Detroit. The extreme far southwest border of Virginia is about 40 miles west of the Motor City).
• both appeared in postseason play – Horton with the world champion Tigers in 1968, Upton with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007, 2011 and 2013.
• both hit at least 30 homers in a season with the Tigers – Horton had a career-high 36 in 1968, and Upton went deep 31 times in 2016.
• both had Detroit teammates who were born in Virginia – for Horton it was Shenandoah native Wayne Comer (Page County High), and for Upton it was Justin Verlander (Goochland High, ODU) and John Hicks (Goochland High, Virginia).
• both Horton and Upton played for the Seattle Mariners – Horton in 1979-1980 and Upton in 2022.
• both had Seattle teammates who were born in Virginia – for Horton it was pitcher Jim Beattie (Hampton), for Upton it was catcher Cal Raleigh, who was born in Harrisonburg. Raleigh made his MLB debut four days before Upton’s last game when both were with Seattle.
• both Horton and Upton played their last game in the majors with Seattle.
• both made their MLB debut about a month from their birthday – Horton made his debut on 10, 1963, and he was born on Oct. 18, 1942. Upton made his debut on Aug. 2, 2007, and he was born on Aug. 25, 1987.
• both played in the minors in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.
• Horton had nine career grand slams – Upton had eight.
• both played their last MLB game against the Texas Rangers. The first game in the Majors for Horton was for Detroit against the Washington Senators, who became the Rangers.
• Upton hit his 200th career homer while with the Tigers.
• Horton hit his 200th career homer against Cleveland’s Dick Bosman, who began coaching with McLean Little League after his playing career and eventually he became a MLB pitching coach.
• Horton hit his 300th career homer against the Tigers – the team he had played for.
• Upton hit his 300th career with the Angels against Seattle, a team he would later play for.
• both hit their 325th and last career homer while with Seattle – Horton on 25, 1980, against Texas, and Upton on July 2, 2022, against Oakland – a team that Horton had played for.
• They are tied for the most home runs by a player born in Virginia.
• both, of course, have last names that end with T-O-N. They both hit a ton.