Austin Jackson

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Austin Jackson
Austin Jackson 2010.jpg
Detroit Tigers – No. 14
Center fielder
Born: (1987-02-01) February 1, 1987 (age 26)
Denton, Texas
Bats: Right Throws: Right 
MLB debut
April 5, 2010 for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics
(through May 10, 2013)
Batting average     .280
Home runs     32
Runs batted in     162
Runs     329
Stolen Bases     66
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Austin Jarrell Jackson (born February 1, 1987) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. In 2010, Jackson made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers, finishing second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Contents

Early years[edit]

In 1999, Baseball America named Jackson the best 12-year-old baseball player in the nation, and the best 15-year-old baseball player three years later.[1]

Jackson attended Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas.[2]

In basketball, he was listed as the #10-ranked high school point guard in the country by Athlon Sports after he averaged 22.5 points, five rebounds and three assists per game his junior year in high school. In baseball he hit .423 with five homers and 34 RBI for his class AAAA Texas State runner-up baseball team and was rated the No. 14 draft prospect among high school players in the nation by Baseball America.[3]

Professional career[edit]

Minor leagues[edit]

Though Jackson committed to play both baseball and basketball for Georgia Tech, the New York Yankees drafted Jackson in the eighth round (259th overall) in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. To convince him to sign instead of attending Georgia Tech, the Yankees offered Jackson $800,000, a record signing bonus for an eighth round pick.[1]

From 2005 to 2009 Jackson rose up the Yankees organization and after a slow start, he became a top prospect for the Yankees.[4] For the 2009 season he was the Yankees top prospect according to Baseball America.[5]

After the 2009 season, Jackson was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[6]

Detroit Tigers[edit]

On December 9, 2009 Jackson was traded to the Detroit Tigers as part of a three-team trade that brought Curtis Granderson to the Yankees.[7]

Jackson entered the 2010 season as the Tigers third-best prospect, according to Baseball America.[8]

He made his major league debut on April 5, 2010 against the Kansas City Royals, going one for five. He hit his first major league home run on April 25, 2010, off of Colby Lewis of the Texas Rangers.[9] Through the first month of the season Jackson led the majors in hits with 36, and was named the AL Rookie of the Month.[10]

On June 2, 2010, against the Cleveland Indians, Jackson made a catch in the ninth inning of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game. The perfect game was later ended with two outs in the ninth after a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce.[11]

He was named an outfielder on Baseball America's 2010 All-Rookie Team.[12] He was also named an outfielder on the 2010 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team.[13]

On November 15, 2010, Jackson came in second in the 2010 American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind Rangers closer Neftalí Feliz.[14][15]

Austin Jackson was named the American League Player of the Week for the week of August 29 to September 4, 2011. In receiving the award for the first time, Jackson had a .529 batting average (18 for 34) during the week with three doubles, three triples, two home runs, five runs batted in, and 13 runs scored. The Tigers went 5–2 that week to increase their lead in the American League Central Division.[16] He won a Fielding Bible Award in 2011 as the best fielding center fielder in MLB.[17]

On April 5, 2012, Jackson was the leadoff hitter and played center field on Opening Day for the Tigers, where he went 3-5 with an RBI and a run. Jackson hit a walk-off, bases-loaded single down the third base line to give the Tigers the win over the Red Sox, 3-2.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Kepner, Tyler (June 1, 2009). "Austin Jackson: A Star Under Construction". Nytimes.com. Retrieved October 7, 2011. 
  2. ^ By Dawn Klemish / Special to MLB.com (January 1, 2010). "Minor League Report: Austin Jackson". Newyork.yankees.mlb.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  3. ^ "Austin Jackson Signs to Play Basketball at Tech". RamblinWreck.com. November 15, 2004. Retrieved July, 15, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Jackson Earning His (Pin)stripes in HWB". Hawaiiwinterbaseball.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  5. ^ Manuel, John (November 10, 2008). "New York Yankees top 10 prospects". Baseballamerica.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  6. ^ Seven added to 40-man roster/
  7. ^ By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com (January 1, 2010). "Granderson joins Yanks in three-way trade". Newyork.yankees.mlb.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  8. ^ Glassey, Conor (January 8, 2010). "Detroit Tigers top 10 prospects". Baseballamerica.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  9. ^ By Todd Wills / Special to MLB.com. "Jackson jacks first home run of career". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  10. ^ By Jason Beck / MLB.com. "Jackson is AL Rookie of Month for April". Detroit.tigers.mlb.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  11. ^ "Austin Jackson's catch draws raves". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  12. ^ Eddy, Matt (October 19, 2010). "Future Big League Stars Highlight All-Rookie Team". Baseball America. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
  13. ^ "Valencia awarded with rookie honor". Mlb.com. November 29, 2010. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2010. 
  14. ^ "Feliz wins AL Rookie of the Year Award". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  15. ^ "Buster Posey, Neftali Feliz voted Rookies of the Year – ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. January 1, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2010. 
  16. ^ Iott, Chris (Sept 6, 2011). "Tigers' Austin Jackson earns AL Player of the Week honors for first time". Retrieved September 6, 2011. 
  17. ^ "The 2011 Awards". The Fielding Bible. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. 
  18. ^ Beck, Jason (April 5, 2012). "Jackson bails out Valverde with walk-off single". MLB.com. 

External links[edit]

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Preceded by
Adrian Gonzalez		 MLB Player of the Week Award
(American League)
August 29 – September 4, 2011		 Succeeded by
C. J. Wilson
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* Member of the 40-man roster of the Detroit Tigers
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