Austin Jackson
From BR Bullpen
Austin Jarriel Jackson
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.
- High School Billy Ryan High School
- Debut April 5, 2010
- Born February 1, 1987 in Denton, TX, USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Outfielder Austin Jackson was a top prospect of the New York Yankees before being included in the three-team trade that brought Curtis Granderson from the Detroit Tigers to New York after the 2009 season.
Jackson was signed by the Yankees and scout Mark Batchko as an 8th-round pick in the 2005 amateur draft. He made his pro debut with the GCL Yankees that summer. Jackson made the South Atlantic League All-Star team with the Charleston RiverDogs in 2006, was the MVP of the Eastern League playoffs with the Trenton Thunder in 2008, and was the International League Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star team with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in 2009.
Jackson impressed in his first spring training with the Tigers in 2010 and earned himself a spot in the starting line-up at center field on opening day, where he went 1 for 5 with a double in an 8-4 win over the Kansas City Royals. He hit well over .300 in his first month in the Show, even leading the batting title race for a few days, and blasted his first home run on April 29th off Colby Lewis of the Texas Rangers, a mere 20 miles from his hometown of Denton, TX. He got a scare on May 22nd when he was beaned by Ramon Troncoso of the Los Angeles Dodgers; the ball hit him in the front of the helmet and he went down in a heap. He was removed from the game, but escaped serious trauma by a mere inch or two. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote, behind Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers after finishing the season with a .293 average in 618 at bats, with 103 runs scored and 27 steals. He was second in the American League with 10 triples but led the loop in strikeouts with 170.
Jackson did lead the American League in triples in 2011, when he hit 11 for the Tigers. Overall, however, his season was not as good as his rookie year, as his batting average fell to .249, his OBP to .317 and his slugging to .374. He lost 13 runs and 12 doubles over the previous season, while playing 2 more games. On the team side, though, the Tigers were an improved team, winning the AL Central title, giving Austin a chance to play in the postseason, He was only 2 for 16 against the New York Yankees in the ALDS, but improved to 6 for 25 with a double and a homer when the Bengals were defeated in 6 games by the Rangers in the ALCS.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2010 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- AL Triples Leader (2011)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (2010)
