Where Does Austin Jackson Fit?
Since Austin Jackson joined the Tigers in 2010, the club has tried to fit him into the leadoff role. Largely because he was the only option, but it simply hasn’t worked out. When you think of the prototypical #1 hitter, you think of speed and patience. You think of contact hitting, steals, and walks. While AJ possesses the raw skills of a leadoff batter, he doesn’t put them to use. I honestly like AJax as a player, but there is no way he should be the leadoff batter for the 2014 Tigers, and here’s why…
Swing and a Miss
2013 was Jackson’s most patient year at the plate, striking out 1 out of every 4 at-bats. Think about that for a moment, nearly two games per week are started with a strikeout of the Tigers’ leadoff batter. Unacceptable. His 129 strikeouts in 2013 put him #4 in the league compared to other frontmen (1,2, and 3 all had at least 20 steals). If you don’t have the ability to make contact, you cannot be the player with the most at bats, and certainly not just two spots in front of the best hitter in all of baseball.
Speed is What We Need!
Surely, if he strikes out at such a high rate, he’s making up for it with his speed on the base paths. Not even close. Among other leadoff batters, who’ve had at least 450 plate appearances, Jackson ranked second to last in steals for 2013. The only player with less steals, St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter, happened to hit 51 points higher than AJ, while striking out 46 less times.
Where Does AJ Fit In?
Austin Jackson should be somewhere between 6th and 8th in the lineup. That’s where you bat if you strikeout 100+ times, with less than 20 homers, and don’t steal bases. He should begin the year in the 8th or 9th spot, and if he shows the ability to either steal 25+ bases, or a dramatically new plate approach, he can be moved up the order. In the 2013 ALCS, AJax was moved to the 8 spot for the final 3 games of the series. The results? A .700 avg and ZERO strikeouts. Compare that to the previous 8 games, batting leadoff, where he had just 2 hits and amassed 18 strikeouts. Jackson has potential, and has shown signs of power, but averaging 154 K/season isn’t tolerated without 40+ homers to go along with it.
Who is the Right Choice?
If Austin Jackson isn’t the right choice for leadoff, who can shoulder the load for the 2014 Tigers? Simple, Ian Kinsler. This may be the easiest position to predict in the newly revamped Tigers batting order. Kinsler struck out just 59 times in 2013. He’s also stolen almost twice as many bases as Jackson over the past 2 seasons, and the season before that he swiped 30 bags. Perhaps eventually, Jackson will be a terrific leadoff hitter, but at least for now, Ian Kinsler is the better choice.
Where would you start Austin Jackson in the 2014 batting order?
UPDATE: Jackson was slotted in the 5th spot for the Tigers’ first Spring Training game, today. Ian Kinsler took over at the lead off spot. I’m sure there will be some jockeying around, but today’s lineup was likely the typical lineup to be used by Ausmus. Today’s starting batting order for the Detroit Tigers was…Kinsler, Hunter, Cabrera, Martinez, Jackson, Dirks, McCann, Castellanos, Iglesias.
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