Drew Jackson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #30 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The athletic Jackson struggled to hit until he got contact lenses his junior year at Stanford, and his increased offensive production got him drafted by the Mariners in the fifth round in 2015. The Dodgers acquired him from Seattle for righthander Chase De Jong just before the start of the 2017 season. After injuries sidetracked Jackson's first year in the Dodgers' system, he emerged as versatile threat during Double-A Tulsa's Texas League title run, finishing with 20 doubles, 15 homers, 22 stolen bases and an .804 OPS while playing shortstop, second base and center field. The Orioles acquired him in the 2018 Rule 5 draft and must keep him on the 25-man roster to retain his rights.
  
  Scouting Report: Jackson's athleticism has long been his calling card. He is a plus-plus runner with a plus-plus arm, two attributes that allow him to play in the middle of the diamond. His footwork and approach on ground balls are inconsistent, making him more reliable at second base than shortstop. Jackson's modest natural timing in the batter's box makes him a fringe-average hitter at best, but he found new power with physical maturity to enhance his overall impact.
  
  The Future: Jackson is being groomed for a utility future with his up-the-middle-athleticism. He'll try to show he can keep hitting at the big league level in 2019.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #29 prospect in 2018
  Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto went on a trading spree after the 2016 season and orchestrated two deals with the Dodgers, the second of which sent Jackson and reliever Aneurys Zabala to Los Angeles for righthander Chase De Jong as spring training opened. Jackson missed a month at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga after jamming his shoulder but returned to finish 2017 in Double-A. Jackson is a plus-plus runner who flies out of the righthanded batter's box, and his arm strength from shortstop is easily plus-plus. While his tools are prolific, his hitting ability is limited. His feel for the barrel has been questioned since college. He gets out of his approach too easily and lacks natural rhythm and timing in his swing. His offensive profile further gets knocked for his timidity on the basepaths despite his elite speed, though he made strides in 2017. Jackson's arm, glove and speed give him a chance as an utility infielder.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #7 prospect in 2017
  The younger brother of ex-big leaguer Brett Jackson, Drew hit .184 with a 37 percent strikeout rate his first two seasons at Stanford but got contact lenses before his junior year. With his vision fixed he hit .320 as a junior and the Mariners were convinced enough to make him a fifth-round pick in 2015 and sign him for $335,400. Jackson's double-plus arm strength and speed are the foremost attributes that attract clubs to him. His arm alone makes him a potentially above-average defender despite inconsistent footwork and body positioning. His speed is elite out of the batter's box and often turns routine grounders into singles, but he is still learning to improve his jumps and reads on the basepaths. After stealing 47 bases at short-season Everett in 2015, he stole just 16 at high Class A Bakersfield in 2016 as pitchers paid closer attention to him. Jackson's offensive upside is his biggest question mark, with evaluators routinely grading him a fringe-average hitter with below-average power. His timing and feel for the barrel have been questioned since college, and he got out of his approach repeatedly in 2016, swinging for the fences rather than keeping the ball on the ground and letting his speed work. Jackson has all the tools but needs to prove he can hit to reach his everyday potential. He will start 2017 at Double-A Arkansas as he tries to do just that.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #3 prospect in 2016
  Jackson left scouts scratching their heads more than licking their chops as an amateur after he turned down the Giants in the 37th round of the 2012 draft to attend Stanford. The younger brother of former Cubs outfielder Brett Jackson, Drew had long tantalized observers with tools but showed little feel to hit during his first two years with the Cardinal, including an unspiring turn in the Cape Cod League. He missed the first 15 games of his junior season with a hand injury before putting the pieces together at the plate. He hit safely in 20 of his final 23 games before signing with the Mariners as a fifth-round pick for $335,400. He carried that hot streak through his professional debut, with new contact lenses being a key to his turnaround. Jackson worked with Everett hitting coach Brian Hunter on shortening his swing and keeping the ball out of the air to better take advantage of his plus-plus speed. It paid off with Jackson earning Northwest League MVP honors while hitting a league-high .358 and stealing bases at will (47-for-51). He's a top-of-the- order hitter with gap power. Jackson is a steady defender at shortstop with soft hands, average range and a plus-plus arm. He sometimes relies on his strong arm too much instead of charging the ball and needs to improve his footwork on throws, but he has the tools to stay at shortstop. He's an aggressive basestealer with first-step quickness and a knack for reading pitchers. It's just half a season, but Jackson gives the Mariners something the system otherwise lacks--an up-the-middle athlete who has a chance to hit. Jackson could be a disruptive force at the top of the lineup and will make his full-season debut in 2016, either at low Class A Clinton or high Class A Bakersfield.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #193 prospect in 2015 draft
  Jackson is the younger brother of ex-Cubs prospect Brett Jackson (now in the Giants organization). Like his brother, Drew has excellent athleticism, and, in fact, is more athletic than his brother, a 2009 first-round pick. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, he has the ideal build for an infielder, rangy with room to gain strength. He has good hands and the best throwing arm on the West Coast, if not the country, a true 70 arm that he can unleash from different angles. Jackson lacks ideal shortstop foot speed but is capable at the position thanks to his arm. He hit just .184 in his first two seasons as a part-time player and missed the first 17 games in 2015 with a left hand injury. Nevertheless, he had his best season, batting .330/.396/.388. Jackson profiles as a utility infielder if his bat continues to develop, but his modest natural timing and feel for hitting limit his offensive upside. His arm strength will tempt teams to switch him to the mound if he struggles at the plate in the minor leagues.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #15 prospect in 2016
  Jackson is at times a frustrating prospect, one who shows outstanding tools but whose lack of on-field success against largely younger players gives many pause. Jackson's speed and arm both earn 70 grades on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. However, he went just 16-for-24 on stolen-base attempts and 19 of his 30 errors were throwing. He hit just .252/.332/.345, which renewed concerns about his feel to hit that have dogged him since college. "I know the numbers weren't great, but that kid I really liked," Lancaster manager Ramon Vasquez said. "He can fly, and he needs to run more than he does. He does great defensively, has good ABs . . . I think the bat will play at some point. It's just a matter of if he gets to the right approach and does it day in and day out." Jackson skipped low Class A altogether, so full-season struggles were not entirely unexpected. His excellent athleticism and top-flight makeup provide reason for optimism that he can eventually get the most out of his raw talent.
• 
  Ranked Northwest League #5 prospect in 2015
  The younger brother of Cubs 2009 first-rounder Brett Jackson, Drew lacks his sibling's physicality but raises the athleticism quotient. He has the ideal build for an infielder, with a double-plus throwing arm that allows him to easily make throws from the left side. He's a plus runner with smooth footwork who gets rid of the ball quickly. At bat, Jackson has a line-drive stroke and a good feel to hit, but he will need to incorporate his lower body to add power to his game. His amateur hitting track record tempers enthusiasm. Jackson hit .240 for Stanford but won the NWL batting title (.358) and also led the circuit with 64 runs and a .432 on-base percentage. "I'm not totally sold on the bat," one NWL evaluator said, "but he's a good athlete and has raked since he got here." Jackson runs well but took advantage of young pitchers who didn't know how to hold runners to lead the league with 47 stolen bases.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The younger brother of ex-big leaguer Brett Jackson, Drew hit .184 with a 37 percent strikeout rate his first two seasons at Stanford but got contact lenses before his junior year. With his vision fixed he hit .320 as a junior and the Mariners were convinced enough to make him a fifth-round pick in 2015 and sign him for $335,400. Scouting Report: Jackson's double-plus arm strength and speed are the foremost attributes that attract clubs to him. His arm alone makes him a potentially above-average defender despite inconsistent footwork and body positioning. His speed is elite out of the batter's box and often turns routine grounders into singles, but he is still learning to improve his jumps and reads on the basepaths. After stealing 47 bases at short-season Everett in 2015, he stole just 16 at high Class A Bakersfield in 2016 as pitchers paid closer attention to him. Jackson's offensive upside is his biggest question mark, with evaluators routinely grading him a fringe-average hitter with below-average power. His timing and feel for the barrel have been questioned since college, and he got out of his approach repeatedly in 2016, swinging for the fences rather than keeping the ball on the ground and letting his speed work.
  
  The Future: Jackson has all the tools but needs to prove he can hit to reach his everyday potential. He will start 2017 at Double-A Arkansas as he tries to do just that.
• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  Jackson left scouts scratching their heads more than licking their chops as an amateur after he turned down the Giants in the 37th round of the 2012 draft to attend Stanford. The younger brother of former Cubs outfielder Brett Jackson, Drew had long tantalized observers with tools but showed little feel to hit during his first two years with the Cardinal, including an unspiring turn in the Cape Cod League. He missed the first 15 games of his junior season with a hand injury before putting the pieces together at the plate. He hit safely in 20 of his final 23 games before signing with the Mariners as a fifth-round pick for $335,400. He carried that hot streak through his professional debut, with new contact lenses being a key to his turnaround. Jackson worked with Everett hitting coach Brian Hunter on shortening his swing and keeping the ball out of the air to better take advantage of his plus-plus speed. It paid off with Jackson earning Northwest League MVP honors while hitting a league-high .358 and stealing bases at will (47-for-51). He's a top-of-the- order hitter with gap power. Jackson is a steady defender at shortstop with soft hands, average range and a plus-plus arm. He sometimes relies on his strong arm too much instead of charging the ball and needs to improve his footwork on throws, but he has the tools to stay at shortstop. He's an aggressive basestealer with first-step quickness and a knack for reading pitchers. It's just half a season, but Jackson gives the Mariners something the system otherwise lacks--an up-the-middle athlete who has a chance to hit. Jackson could be a disruptive force at the top of the lineup and will make his full-season debut in 2016, either at low Class A Clinton or high Class A Bakersfield.