Hyperpolarization can increase the sensitivity of NMR/MRI experiments, but the primary limitation is the T(1) decay of magnetization. Due to its long T(1), the hyperpolarized (89)Y nucleus makes an excellent candidate as an in vivo spectroscopy/imaging probe. Here we report the (89)Y chemical shift dependence upon pH for two hyperpolarized (89)Y(III) complexes and demonstrate how such complexes can be used as sensitive spectroscopy/imaging agents to measure pH.