MY BASEBALL BIAS

With pitchers and catchers reporting to Tampa in 16 more days, I thought we’d take a daily look at all 26 non-roster invitees in alphabetical order. If all goes according to plan, we’ll wrap up this series on February 13th with infielder Marcos Vechionacci, one day before Yankee camp officially opens.

One word of caution - I do not claim to be a scout. Most of my sourcing will come from various interviews, profiles, videos and looking at statistics. The series is meant to be a learning tool as we prep for the opening of Spring Training. I invite all of you to add to the discussion in the comments section, post links on said player or, if you have a story, feel free to share it.

Could this guy be the Yankees starting centerfielder in 2009?…

AUSTIN JACKSON

Position: OF
Born: February 1, 1987 - Denton,Texas
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
High School: Ryan (Denton,TX)

2008 Prospect Rankings:

• Ranked as a B- prospect (5) by John Sickels
• Ranked 3rd in the Yankee system by Baseball America
• Ranked 3rd by Pinstripes Plus
• Ranked 3rd by Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus

Statistics
Complete Minor League Stats

Background

Jackson was drafted by the Yankees in the 8th Round (259th overall) of 2005 amateur entry draft from Ryan High School in Denton Texas for $800,000. He turned down a basketball scholarship to Georgia Tech and followed his dream of playing baseball. After a stint in 2005 with the GCL Yankees, he struggled in 2006 at Single-A Charleston when he batted (258/.338/.344). In 2007, however, things really took off for Jackson. He started slowly again in Charleston (.260/.336/.374 but was magnificent when bumped up to High-A Tampa (.345/.398/.566). After an equally impressive Hawaiian Winter Ball debut where he was ranked by Baseball America as the second best prospect in the league, all the major prospect lists have placed him in the top five of their rankings. Other than the big young three (Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy), Jackson’s name is the one talked about most in the system these days.

Offensive Skills

Jackson is easily the best athlete in the Yankee’s minor league system. He can run, hit and field which makes him a true five-tool player. His bat speed is tremendous which makes it easy for him to turn on inside pitches. A rebuilt swing has allowed him to shorten his stride and stay back longer. He still has a tendency to chase the breaking stuff and some scouts worry that when his frame fills out he’ll lose some speed. As of now, however, he has above average speed and a 77% success rate on the base paths.

Defensive Skills

A true centerfielder, Jackson’s speed gives him great tracking power on balls hit his way. He also possesses a plus arm. Jackson has all the tools that could make him a Gold Glove outfielder one day.

Projection and Outlook

Jackson will more than likely continue his development at Double-A Trenton in 2007. A mid or late season call-up to Scranton/WB is not out of the question. As of now, I think Jackson has the highest ceiling of any player currently in the system. He could easily become a 20/20 type all-star outfielder if he continues to hone his game.

Below are profiles I’ve already completed in case you missed one or all of them:

All non-roster invitee profiles are available in the sidebar as well.

NEXT UP: Steven Jackson, RHP