Dan Uggla was born in 1980 in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the son of Elizabeth Armistead (née Cooley) and John Carl Uggla. He attended Columbia Central High School in Columbia, Tennessee, before enrolling at the University of Memphis, where he played college baseball for the Memphis Tigers.
Uggla was selected in the 11th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the 338th overall pick. He spent five seasons within the Diamondbacks organization, including time with their short-season affiliate, the Yakima Bears, in Yakima, Washington.
In 2006, the Florida Marlins acquired Uggla in the Rule 5 Draft. He quickly made an impact, recording his first major league hit only three days into the season with a single off Houston Astros pitcher Andy Pettitte. He hit his first career home run on April 13 against Dewon Brazelton of the San Diego Padres. His first stolen base came later that season when he stole home against the Philadelphia Phillies.
That year, Uggla was selected as a reserve for the 2006 MLB All-Star Game—an impressive honor for a Rule 5 draftee in his rookie season. He capped an outstanding debut year by finishing third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, behind teammate Hanley Ramírez—who won the award—and future teammate Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals. However, Uggla did receive accolades, winning the Players Choice and Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year Awards.
| Net Worth 2021: | 34 million |
