Michael Gupton brings more than elite speed to NC State
ROLESVILLE, N.C. (BVM) – Rolesville High School senior outfielder Michael Gupton just might be the fastest baseball player you’ll see, especially at the high school level. He broke the Perfect Game 60-yard dash record with a 5.96 back in 2021. He also once legged out a triple in 11.4 seconds during his junior season.
Michael Gupton (@GuptonMichael) made it from home to third in 11.4 seconds on this triple 😳
The NC State commit is one of 30+ 2022 draft standouts you need to know this fall.
Here's why: https://t.co/pH7tYq8fSw pic.twitter.com/vy75cDtzxs
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 19, 2021
Even in 2020, Gupton was making waves with his speed. In the North Carolina High School Athletics Association 4A Indoor State Championships, Gupton ran the 55-meter dash in 6.22 seconds. It was the fastest time recorded for the 2020 indoor track season in the US. As a freshman, he ran the same race in 6.31 seconds.
“It’s just how I got a big piece of my foot in the door,” Gupton said. “Obviously it’s my gift of speed. A lot of people know, I would say more locally, how complete of a player I am. I would say people in a little bit more of a broad area don’t know, so that’s why I’m really looking forward to this summer.”
Do not mistake Gupton as someone with only elite speed. Yes, that speed helps him stick out among his peers, but speed alone does not make a great baseball player. His focus on improving his skills at the plate and on the field helped him become a better player with more playing time. He finished his high school career with a .335 batting average with 67 hits, 72 runs scored, 30 RBIs, 15 doubles, seven triples, and seven home runs.
“The biggest improvement I’ve made is just realizing what needs to be done and what I can do without trying to force any action from the mental side,” Gupton said. “From the physical side, staying with the ball more, staying back, and really reading that spin a lot better.”
Gupton also had his best season in the field his senior season with 43 putouts, four assists, and one double play.
“Just keeping the footwork sharp,” Gupton said about what he’s been working on in the field. “Arm strength… you can never have too much arm strength, so I’ve been working on that. Agility, getting the footwork right, all the things to be a complete outfielder.”
While Gupton’s senior season may have ended earlier than he desired, he has always had an eye on the future when it comes to his baseball career. He verbally committed to play his college ball at NC State during his freshman year of high school. Now that his high school career is over, he can’t wait to get on the field again, this time for the Wolfpack.
“I’ve been looking forward to that since my freshman year when I committed,” Gupton said. “It’s finally approaching us, it’s finally coming up. We’re excited. We talk every week, giving each other a call, sending text messages in between games… They’ve been out to a numerous amount of my games, my staff. Everything’s going well, communication is going well. Hopefully, I’m living up to their standards.”
While NC State has been the plan for Gupton since he committed to Wolfpack as a freshman, the scouting community has kept a close eye on him as well for the approaching MLB Draft.
“Lot of buzz around the draft,” Gupton said about what he’s experiencing. “A lot of guys at the games, a lot of guys at my house. Communication with me as well as my agent.”
Whether Gupton finds himself playing ball at NC State or in an MLB team’s system next year, there’s no doubt he will continue to improve as a player while burning up basepaths regardless of where he lands.
