Brett Jackson

One of the team's better prospects, Jackson had a mediocre season at Triple-A Iowa before getting the call for the out-of-contention Cubs in August. Not surprisingly, he was overmatched, striking out a whopping 59 times in 120 at-bats and hitting .175. As a result, he'll begin the year back at Triple-A where he had only slightly more success making contact last year (61 percent). The bottom line, Jackson is a good power-speed combo player (15 homers, 27 steals in 407 Triple-A at-bats) who will draw a walk, but until he improves his contact rate, he won't be ready for the big leagues. Keep an eye on his contact rate this season, as the Cubs made significant changes to Jackson's swing in Arizona during the offseason.

Jackson hit well in the high minors last year, posting a .297/.388/.551 line in 185 Triple-A at-bats. Jackson's got good plate discipline, can play all three outfield spots and isn't averse to stealing a base (20 in 27 attempts at two levels last year). In short, he's the team's best hitting prospect and should have a chance to win the center-field job in camp. But incumbent Marlon Byrd is still under contract through 2012, the team recently signed David DeJesus and Alfonso Soriano is still carrying an almost unmovable contract. Moreover, unless Jackson forces the issue with a huge spring, the team might want to keep him at Triple-A until June to delay his arbitration clock.

Jackson turned in his second straight solid minor league season, this time as a 21-year-old at High-A and Double-A. Jackson has good speed (18 steals in 22 attempts at Double-A), good power and decent plate discipline, but with just 228 at-bats in the high minors and a crowded Cubs outfield, he's likely to begin the year at Triple-A. With a strong showing there, a September callup strikes us as likely, but unless injuries strike (or the Cubs deal Alfonso Soriano (not easy) and/or Kosuke Fukudome), it would be surprising to see Jackson sooner.

Jackson lived up to his first-round billing last year, posting a .295/.383/.545 line and stealing 11 bases in 12 attempts at Low-A Peoria. He's a five-tool prospect, and showed a willingness to take a walk, but still needs to cut down on the strikeouts. Expect the 21-year-old to see action at High-A and Double-A this year with an eye toward a 2011-12 debut.