Austin Jackson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #3 prospect in 2010
  A former Georgia Tech point guard recruit, Jackson signed with the Yankees for a theneighth- round-record $800,000 in 2005. He had a mixed performance when he reached Triple-A in 2009, hitting .300 but showing little power and slumping in the second half. He came to Detroit in December as part of the three-team trade that sent Curtis Granderson to New York and Edwin Jackson to Arizona. Jackson brings his athleticism to bear defensively in center field, where he glides to balls with good range, and offensively, where he repeats his swing to produce gap power. He has shown the ability to hit for average, batting .300 or better in three of his five pro seasons. He's a tick above-average runner underway who has improved his basestealing ability. His arm strength is above average for center field and allows him to play right field as well. In an attempt to hit for more power, Jackson lost his rhythm, stopped making contact and had just nine extra-base hits in the second half of last season. He has hit just 30 homers in 565 pro games, and he's likely to have average power at best. He's not selective enough to take walks consistently, and he needs a better two-strike approach. Jackson had reached a crossroads with the Yankees but will get the opportunity to replace Granderson in center field for the Tigers. He may be better suited to hit at the top of the lineup than Granderson was.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #1 prospect in 2009
  Jackson has spent the better part of his career proving he's a baseball player, not just an athlete playing baseball. He had a full ride to play basketball at Georgia Tech when he came out of Ryan High in Denton, Texas, in 2005. The Yankees swayed him to baseball with an $800,000 bonus, an eighth-round record at the time (broken a year later by New York's Dellin Betances). Jackson had halting progress early, striking out too often and seeming a half-step behind in his first full season at low Class A Charleston in 2006. A year later, he broke out at midseason while repeating the level and finished the year with an impressive turn in the Double-A Eastern League playoffs. He returned to Trenton this season and was the Thunder's best player as it repeated as EL champion. Jackson is a premium athlete who can do a little of everything on the diamond. One EL manager used a football term, calling him a "playmaker." The Yankees' most advanced batting prospect, he's a rhythm hitter who thrives when he's in a groove. He had three hitting streaks of at least 10 games in 2008. He has the bat speed to catch up to the best fastballs, as he showed by crushing a key homer off Clay Buchholz in the EL playoffs, and league managers praised his situational hitting. While Jackson's power comes mostly to the gaps now, scouts and managers agree he'll have average power as he continues to gain experience and strength. He's a smart baserunner with maybe a tick above average speed, though he's not likely to be a big basestealer in the majors. Defensively, Jackson can glide to balls in the gaps with plus range and has a strong, accurate arm that could allow him to move to right field. His strong personality and leadership skills make him a good fit in the clubhouse and for New York. Reports on Jackson's running ability are mixed. Some scouts say his big hack in the batter's box leads to below-average times from home to first. He may slow down as he matures physically and have to move to an outfield corner, which would be a problem if his power fails to develop. He employs a leg kick and when his timing is off, the rest of his swing falters, leaving him late on good fastballs. Jackson's greatest weakness may be what he's not: a classic Yankees center fielder. He's no DiMaggio or Mantle, or even Bernie Williams. Jackson lacks a standout tool but earns future grades of solid-average to plus across the board. His all-around ability fits the profile of a center fielder on a championship team, similar to Williams but with less power and better defense. Melky Cabrera's regression and Brett Gardner's lack of power make Jackson New York's best bet for an in-house center fielder, and he began his campaign for the job with a strong stint in the Arizona Fall League. A robust start, either in spring training or at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, could propel Jackson past Cabrera and Gardner for the starting job in New York in 2009.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #2 prospect in 2008
  For nearly the first two years since Jackson bypassed a Georgia Tech basketball scholarship to sign for $800,000, Jackson's progress was slow. He began 2007 by returning to low Class A Charleston but took off when pushed to high Class A. He finished the season on a roll, helping Trenton win the Double-A Eastern League title and ranking as the No. 2 prospect in Hawaii Winter Baseball. The best athlete in the system, Jackson stopped fighting himself and let the game and his talent flow last season. He takes a big, aggressive swing, and his quick bat and strength give him solid-average raw power. He uses the whole field and feasts on pitches on the inner half. He has developed above-average range in center field as his instincts and reactions have improved, and his plus arm has become more consistent and accurate. Jackson takes a healthy cut and doesn't have great times to first base out of the batter's box, but he has average speed and has improved his first step considerably. He's still gaining baseball experience, which shows in his pitch recognition and baserunning acumen. Jackson still has more room to grow, and the Yankees consider him a future all-star candidate. He'll try to continue his progress in Double-A in 2008 and could challenge for a big league job as soon as 2009.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #18 prospect in 2007
  Jackson has confused scouts as both an amateur and now as a pro. Recruited to play point guard at Georgia Tech, Jackson had scouts guessing whether he actually wanted to play pro baseball with some spotty efforts as a high school senior. However, he spurned the Yellow Jackets when the Yankees drafted him in 2005 and gave him $800,000, a record for a player selected in the eighth round. (New York broke the record last year with Dellin Betances' $1 million bonus.) After a solid debut in the Gulf Coast League, Jackson joined fellow phenoms Jose Tabata and C.J. Henry in low Class A. He was the only one to finish the season with Charleston, as Tabata got hurt and Henry went to the Phillies in the Bobby Abreu/Cory Lidle trade. Jackson learned what it takes to grind out a season, an important lesson because he didn't play like the premium athlete the Yankees thought they were getting. Premium athletes are quicker at making adjustments than Jackson is, and they run better. Jackson's 4.4-second times from the right side of the plate to first base were pedestrian, though he runs better underway. His fringy speed also limits his range in center field, where he'll have to improve his routes and instincts to become an average defender. Jackson has raw strength, stays inside the ball well and has patience, so he eventually could hit for above-average power. To do so, he'll have to dramatically improve his breaking-ball recognition and stop falling behind in the count so often. Unless Jackson can have his athletic ability play better on the field, he'll only go as far as his bat takes him as a left fielder. He's expected to move up to high Class A but could return to Charleston, at least to begin the year.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #5 prospect in 2006
  Jackson was set to go to Georgia Tech on a basketball scholarship. Jackson's basketball jones threw off many area scouts, who doubted his desire to play baseball. But Mark Batchko realized Jackson wanted to be a Yankee, having written his first scouting report on him when Jackson was 12. New York signed him quickly in June for $800,000, a record for an eighth-round pick. Jackson rivals C.J. Henry in his athletic ability and competitive nature. At the plate, he exhibits a knack for staying inside the ball and can drive the ball the other way, which along with his wiry frame has elicited some Derek Jeter comparisons. He's an above-average runner and a solid defender. The biggest question for Jackson is his power. He needs to add strength and will have to learn to pull the ball. The top player in his age group at ages 12 (1999) and 15 (2002) in our annual Baseball for the Ages rankings, Jackson has been a prospect since before he was a teenager. He'll spend his first season as a full-time baseball player in low Class A and could move quickly thanks to his advanced offensive approach.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #7 prospect in 2009
  Jackson was the most exciting player to spend the full season in the IL, flashing all five tools while leading the circuit in triples and ranking second in hits. He drew comparisons to Torii Hunter, albeit with less power. Jackson has bat speed and strength, but he hit just four homers and slugged only .405. While he batted .300, his 123-40 K-BB ratio was the worst of his five-year pro career. As he continues to refine his pitch recognition and plate discipline, he should continue to hit for average with at least solid power. He has slightly above-average speed and is an intelligent baserunner who will steal some bases. Though he's not a blazer, Jackson played all three outfield positions for Scranton and could handle center field in the major leagues. He covers a lot of ground and makes accurate throws with an above-average arm.
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  Ranked Eastern League #10 prospect in 2008
  Jackson finished last season with Trenton in the EL playoffs and helped the Thunder win the league title again this year, earning postseason MVP honors. Several managers cited him as one of the league's most feared clutch hitters, while also acknowledging his tools, which grade out as average across the board. While the former Georgia Tech basketball recruit has obvious athleticism, he isn't a classic five-tool player who makes it all look easy. Observers disagree about his running speed--one scout called him fringe average with poor running mechanics, and some scouts consider Jackson a tweener, while others believe he's a solid center fielder with average speed and an average-to-plus arm. "He has a flair for the dramatic," Portland manager Arnie Beyeler said. "He makes every big play and gets every big hit. If he's a tweener, give me three of them for my outfield and I'll win."
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  Ranked Florida State League #10 prospect in 2007
  A standout point guard who would have started for Georgia Tech as a freshman had he not turned to professional baseball, Jackson was lackluster for 1 1/2 seasons in low Class A before his promotion to Tampa in late June. He hit safely in 24 of his 25 games and showed why he earned a then-record eighth-round bonus of $800,000 in 2005. When he's locked in, Jackson uses the entire field and shows pop to both gaps. He has bat speed and strength, so he should develop more home run power in the future. Though he's just an average runner and there have been concerns about his defense in the past, FSL managers like his routes and arm strength in center field. Szekely said Jackson made the best outfield catch he's seen in years, flipping over the fence while stealing a home run from Vero Beach's Rhyne Hughes. Jackson also displayed a fine ability to track balls over his head.
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #11 prospect in 2005
  Jackson was recognized by Baseball America as the nation's best player in his age group at both 12 and 15, but he's never been as proficient at baseball as basketball. He could have started at point guard as a freshman at Georgia Tech before the Yankees coughed up an $800,000 bonus, a record for an eighth-round pick. Jackson played center field over Tabata and de la Rossi because he's the fastest of the three, with 6.4-second times in the 60-yard dash. He showed off his superior athleticism most on defense, where he was exceptional at running balls down in the gaps. His arm was strong and accurate, though it's not in the class of de la Rossi's--possibly the strongest in the GCL. At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Jackson is not as physical as Henry and didn't hit a home run, but he should grow into average power. He has a good swing path for his age but had the poorest approach to hitting among the Yankees' outfield prospects. He chased a lot of breaking balls and had a tendency to drift at the plate.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #76 prospect in 2010
• Ranked Baseball America's #36 prospect in 2009
• Ranked Baseball America's #41 prospect in 2008

• December, 2006 Scouting Report
  Jackson has confused scouts as both an amateur and now as a pro. Recruited to play point guard at Georgia Tech, Jackson had scouts guessing whether he actually wanted to play pro baseball with some spotty efforts as a high school senior. However, he spurned the Yellow Jackets when the Yankees drafted him in 2005 and gave him $800,000, a record for a player selected in the eighth round. (New York broke the record last year with Dellin Betances' $1 million bonus.) After a solid debut in the Gulf Coast League, Jackson joined fellow phenoms Jose Tabata and C.J. Henry in low Class A. He was the only one to finish the season with Charleston, as Tabata got hurt and Henry went to the Phillies in the Bobby Abreu/Cory Lidle trade. Jackson learned what it takes to grind out a season, an important lesson because he didn't play like the premium athlete the Yankees thought they were getting. Premium athletes are quicker at making adjustments than Jackson is, and they run better. Jackson's 4.4-second times from the right side of the plate to first base were pedestrian, though he runs better underway. His fringy speed also limits his range in center field, where he'll have to improve his routes and instincts to become an average defender. Jackson has raw strength, stays inside the ball well and has patience, so he eventually could hit for above-average power. To do so, he'll have to dramatically improve his breaking-ball recognition and stop falling behind in the count so often. Unless Jackson can have his athletic ability play better on the field, he'll only go as far as his bat takes him as a left fielder. He's expected to move up to high Class A but could return to Charleston, at least to begin the year.