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Playing on the Detroit Tigers, alongside a star-studded cast consisting of Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, many people often overlook their extremely talented center fielder, Austin Jackson.
I’m not.
The 26-year old outfielder is off to a strong start in 2013, batting .291 with one homer, seven RBI and five stolen bases. He’s also getting on base very frequently, sporting an on base percentage of .351. He didn’t get much praise as an elite lead off man last season because Mike Trout batted first for his club and absolutely went bonkers, but now that Trout is batting second, I’m going to make the case that Jackson is one of, if not the best lead off man in all of baseball right now. From a fantasy perspective, owners should expect to see 12-17 home runs, 15-20 steals, a solid average and an elite number in runs scored. Jackson is currently first in the American League in runs scored (19) and is a terrific bet to finish the season as the major league leader.
The most exciting part about Jackson is that he is young and progressing. In 2012, Jackson cut his strikeout bit quite a bit and walked more as well, posting a career high 66 walks a season ago. Entering the prime of his major league career, Jackson will continue to get better as a hitter. Currently, he is the 12th ranked outfielder in Yahoo! fantasy leagues, ahead of guys like Trout, Jose Bautista, and Josh Hamilton. So the question remains… Why is no one talking about this guy?
Honestly, I really couldn’t give you that answer, as it has me lost. Clearly, I am nothing but excited about Jackson for now and the future. Batting lead off in one of the most powerful lineups in baseball, 100 runs is almost a guarantee, as long as he stays healthy. However, that shouldn’t be a problem, seeing as he has only missed 40 games during his three-year career. A terrific combination of speed and average, Jackson shouldn’t finish the season lower than a .285 average guy and with the amount he gets on base, steals will be there all season long. Also, don’t underestimate the improving power from Jackson, as his home run totals have improved in each season since his rookie year and has raised his fly ball rate over the years. Besides, even if he begins to slump at times, which is perfectly normal, Jackson’s superb glove will keep him in the Tigers’ lineup regardless.
Okay, I’ll stop salivating over Jackson’s fantasy value now, but I just felt that he deserved more attention than he is receiving. He is a multi-threat who can give owners a little bit of everything, is off to a fast start and (here’s the scary part), is only getting better.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
