• Full name Austin Jarriel Jackson
  • Born 02/01/1987 in Denton, TX
  • Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 198 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Ryan
  • Debut 04/05/2010
  • Drafted in the 8th round (259th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2005 (signed for $800,000).
    View Draft Report
    Like Zach Putnam, Jackson has been one of the biggest disappointments for scouts this spring. One of the best athletes in the draft, he was twice was the top-rated player in his age group (at 12 in 1999, 15 in 2002) in Baseball America's annual Baseball For The Ages rankings. He's also a gifted basketball player, drawing comparisons to Kenny Lofton (a guard at Arizona before launching his baseball career), and his two-sport aspirations worry scouts. They didn't think they'd have an easy time signing him away from playing hoops at Georgia Tech, and logistics would make it difficult for Jackson to play college basketball and devote much time to pro baseball. He has made that a moot point this spring by rarely showing full effort on the diamond, and it's possible he won't even get drafted. Scouts don't view him as an underachiever so much as making a tacit decision to focus on basketball. When he plays hard, Jackson shows five-tool potential. He has basestealing speed but isn't a burner, as well as gap power, similar to a late-career version of Marquis Grissom.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Minor League Top Prospects

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

  • Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Detroit Tigers in 2010
  • Rated Best Batting Prospect in the International League in 2009
  • Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the New York Yankees in 2009
  • Rated Best Athlete in the New York Yankees in 2009
  • Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Eastern League in 2008
  • Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the New York Yankees in 2008
  • Rated Best Athlete in the New York Yankees in 2008

Scouting Reports

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