Austin Jackson

Jackson had a strong triple-slash line in 2017 thanks to some increased effectiveness against lefty pitchers (.352/.440/.574). Cleveland utilized him in a fourth-outfielder capacity expertly and set him up for the success that produced his finest offensive season since 2012 with Detroit. However, the lack of regular playing time mostly limited him to only formats and that is unlikely to change in 2018, as he is expected to occupy the short side of a center field platoon in San Francisco. Defensive metrics have graded Jackson as a minus defender in four of the past five seasons, so his at-bats figure to be limited against righties. When he was a full-timer, he was stealing 15-to-20 bases a season, but he has rarely run these past two seasons and it's difficult to see that changing as he enters his age-31 season. If your goal is to roster unsexy endgame skills, Jackson is your action.

In his seventh big league season, Jackson maintained a fairly prominent role in the White Sox outfield prior to a string of injuries. He got off to a horrific start to the season, but picked things up in May by getting on base at a .347 clip. Things went south quickly, however, as he was sidelined with a bout of turf toe in late May, and then suffered a torn meniscus just two games after returning from his prior ailment, putting an end to his season. With his season cut short, Jackson was forced to head into free agency with a middling .254/.318/.343 to go with no home runs and a career-low two stolen bases. The 2010 Rookie of the Year runner-up certainly seems to be on the decline, although he could work his way into a reserve outfielder role with the Indians after signing an NRI deal with them over the offseason. His fantasy value is limited until he can work his way into a semi-prominent role with Cleveland, though.

Jackson spent most of last year with Seattle before coming over to the Cubs at the end of August. Though he can steal bases and has a little pop, his walk rate has been steadily declining while his strikeout rate - terrible to begin with - is growing. In 2012, when he hit 16 home runs and batted .300, he had a somewhat respectable 67:134 BB:K. Last year, it plummeted all the way to 29:126 BB:K. That's fine for a player hitting 40 home runs, but it's downright criminal if you have just nine and you're trying to get on base. He signed a one-year deal with the White Sox this season, and has a shot to earn a semi-everyday role, especially following Adam LaRoche's retirement. However, there is little to point to that suggests he will be very productive on offense on the South Side.

Jackson was acquired at the trade deadline last year and immediately became the Mariners' best defensive outfielder. His bat, though, never made the trip from Detroit. After posting a .390 OBP for the Tigers in July, the Mariners' new leadoff hitter finished with a .267 OBP in Seattle. His SLG dropped to a mere .260 as he had just six extra-base hits with the Mariners. The only thing Jackson did better was steal bases – 11 to 9 in about half the games. It's unclear what caused his offensive woes, though better plate discipline and better contact will help after he struck out in 25 percent of his plate appearances with the Mariners with a mere five percent walk rate. Jackson's defense will keep him in the lineup, but the Mariners need the bat they thought they were getting atop the lineup.

After taking an apparent leap in 2012, Jackson took a step back last year. As expected, his .374 BABIP dropped to a more sustainable .336 mark, which led to a drop in batting average from .300 to .278. Jackson also saw a dip in power, clearing the fence just 12 times. But the most disappointing aspect of Jackson’s 2013 campaign was his career-low total of eight steals. A couple of minor lower-body ailments, and an ex-Tigers manager's general reluctance to run likely played a factor into Jackson’s limited action on the basepaths. He still has plenty of speed, though, and with a new manager (Brad Ausmus) at the helm in Detroit, Jackson could be given more freedom to run. Even if given the green light, Jackson will have to improve his plate discipline and start getting on base more. While he has made strides at the plate the past couple years, Jackson remains far too strikeout prone (0.40 BB/K) for a leadoff hitter, which could lead to a drop in the batting order in 2014. If Jackson does get moved out of the leadoff spot, he will likely score fewer runs – easily his best category since cracking the Tigers' lineup. Still, at 27, Jackson is just now entering his prime. He remains a stellar defensive player for the Tigers and has flashed potential for better production at the plate and on the bases. His down campaign in 2013 will lead to less hype heading into draft season, but there’s still plenty of upside here to target Jackson as a breakout candidate once again in 2014.

Jackson was the Tiger that made the biggest leap in fantasy value last season. He finished his breakout season with career-highs in batting average (.300), home runs (16), runs (103) and RBI (66). The strikeout prone outfielder also improved his plate discipline significantly thanks in part to an altered stance, which included a reduced leg kick. As a result of his tweaks at the plate, Jackson was able to lower his strikeout percentage (27.1 to 21.7 percent) while also taking more free passes, which led to a career-high .377 OBP. And while his .374 BABIP appears unsustainable, it's actually only a notch above his career mark of .372, so a huge drop in batting average should not necessarily be expected unless Jackson reverts back to his huge strikeout totals from previous seasons. The only disappointment from Jackson in 2012 was a drop in steals from 22 the previous season to 12 last year. He was caught stealing nine times after converting 82 percent of his attempts over his first two seasons, so expect him to bounce back on the basepaths. There might be regression in some areas with Jackson, but at just 26, he's just entering his prime and should be a solid fantasy option for years to come.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.