Austin Jackson

2013

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2012

While Jackson was productive enough in 2011 to avoid his campaign being labeled a sophomore slump, he did take a slight step back during his second season in the majors. He continued to struggle with his plate discipline, finishing third in the majors with 181 strikeouts. After an extremely lucky 2010 campaign at the plate (.399 BABIP), Jackson's batting average predictably fell, dropping from .293 as a rookie to .249 last season. The drop in batting average was clearly reflected in his .317 OBP. Not all was bad, though. Jackson saw more doubles clear the fence, finishing with 10 home runs while also finishing tied for fourth in the AL with 11 triples. He also managed 22 steals and a respectable 90 runs scored as the Tigers leadoff hitter. Jackson's Gold Glove caliber defense will keep him in the Tigers lineup everyday no matter what type of batting average he posts, but his continued problem with whiffing could result in a demotion from the leadoff spot in the future. At 25, Jackson still hasn't reached his peak, so we haven't seen the best from him yet, but expect to see gradual growth from year-to-year in the short term.

2011

Jackson had a stellar first season with the Tigers, hitting .293 while leading all American League rookies in hits (181), runs (103) and steals (27). The 24-year-old outfielder also provided the Tigers with Gold-Glove caliber defense in spacious Comerica Park. His two biggest shortcomings are at the plate with his lack of power (four home runs and questionable plate discipline -- 170:47 K:BB). The power is expected to develop over time, but Jackson's high strikeout total and unsustainable .399 BABIP hint at a drop in batting average. Despite those worries, Jackson showed enough overall value in his rookie campaign to be considered a solid outfield option in mixed leagues looking for a cheap source of steals with potential for moderate power down the line.

2010

Following a strong campaign at Double-A Trenton in 2008, Jackson carried the success to the next level last season, hitting .300 with a .354 OBP at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He has good baserunning skills (24 steals in 28 tries) and is strong defensively, but he'll have trouble hitting for a high average at the big league level until he cuts down on his strikeouts. After being traded to Detroit in the Curtis Granderson deal, Jackson will be given every opportunity to secure the starting job in center field for the Tigers during spring training.

2009

Jackson parlayed a strong showing as a 21-year-old at Double-A Trenton into a place among the organization's elite prospects in 2008. He may eventually take over as the team's everyday center fielder, since Johnny Damon's arm is better suited in left and being deployed as a DH will save Hideki Matsui's legs, but that doesn't appear to be the plan for 2009. Jackson has very good speed on the basepaths, and his 33 doubles in 520 at-bats hint at the possibility of more power than the nine homers he compiled with Trenton last season. Even without a power spike, fantasy owners can benefit from his 30-40 steals potential down the road, provided that he improves his contact rate enough to consistently get on base. He'll get regular at-bats at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, with an eye towards potentially competing for a starting job with the Yankees in 2010.

2008

Jackson began 2007 at Low-A Charleston and managed to finish by playing one game at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. While most of his time was spent at Charleston and High-A Tampa, Jackson displayed a consistent ability to get on base (.370 OBP over all three stops) and to steal extra ones as needed (33-for-44 on stolen-base attempts). The Yankees sent Jackson to play winter ball in the Hawaiian League, and the results were impressive with a .271/.368/.489 mark to go along with three homers and eight steals in 39 games. He'll need to develop more power if he's going to stick as a corner outfielder in the bigs, but the plus-speed makes him worth keeping an eye on.