RADIO
Bounce-Back Candidate in 2015
Once a prospect in the Yankees' system, Austin Jackson was dealt to Detroit prior to the 2010 season as part of a three-team swap that also included names like Curtis Granderson and Max Scherzer. He made an immediate impact that year, posting a .293/.345/.400 triple slash line while scoring 103 runs and stealing 27 bases to boot. 2010 was a good year for Austin Jackson, who finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Tiger fans were excited about what was to come.
After a disappointing sophomore campaign, Jackson progressed in 2012, hitting for a .300 AVG and 16 HR. Many in Detroit saw him as a legitimate 20/20 candidate going forward, but Jackson never fully developed into that type of consistent player. In 2014, Jackson hit just .256 for Detroit, managing only 4 HR with 9 SB before being dealt to the Mariners in another three-team swap at the deadline.
Despite the declining production over the last few seasons, Austin Jackson is a legitimate bounce back candidate for the 2015 season. Jackson was grossly under-utilized in Detroit, but that will not be the case in Seattle. He should contribute substantially in his first full season with the Mariners.
Since his 2010 season with 27 SB, Jackson has only notched 27 attempted steals once. Last season in Detroit, Jackson stole successfully 9 times in 13 attempts over 100 games. The year before that he stole 8 times in 129 games. Jackson did not have the red light, and this was a major managerial mistake.
In just 54 games with the Mariners after the deadline, Jackson stole successfully 11 out of 13 times. Jackson's speed, paired with his ability to get on base (.336 career OBP), makes him fully capable of stealing 25 or more bases with regularity, and potentially upwards of 30.
This year, Jackson is slated to return to the leadoff slot in the batting order, a position he held for much of his tenure in Detroit before 2014. Jackson batted somewhere other than first 73 times last season; prior to that, he had never occupied a non-leadoff slot more than 12 times. Opposing pitchers took advantage of the fact that Jackson was no longer ahead of guys like Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, or Victor Martinez: he saw fewer pitches inside the strike zone last year than any in his career. In 2015, he will lead a lineup that includes the likes of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz. With that protection, expect Jackson to see more strikes and to put them into play with authority.
In Summary
Austin Jackson is at a critical point in his career. He's 28 years old, he's physically gifted, and he'll be a free agent at the end of the season. In his short time with Seattle last year, we caught a glimpse of how manager Lloyd McClendon intends to use Jackson going forward. With that aggressive approach and a slight increase in offensive production, Austin Jackson is a player who can help you in multiple offensive categories in 2015.
