Yankee Top Prospect Austin Jackson

Yankee Top Prospect Austin Jackson

AJax played in Hawaii this winter and BA had the following to say about the # 2 ranked prospect in HWB's performance:

2. AUSTIN JACKSON OF
Honolulu (Yankees)

After having a breakout season during which he hit .304/.370/.476 across three levels of the minors, Jackson reported to Honolulu and never slowed down. A premium athlete, Jackson finally grew into his tools in 2007. A line-drive hitter with gap power, Jackson's profile is likely as a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter with the ability to drive in runs. He is an above-average defender in center field, getting good reads and jumps on balls while running quality routes. While he doesn't always get out of the batter's box quickly, he's a graceful runner. "Once he gets underway he's a plus-plus runner," an NL scout said. "He's the best athlete in this league. He doesn't have that first-step explosion, but this guy is a real crowd pleaser on the bases."

Ranked only behind Joba and ahead of Tabata and IPK on BA's list of top 10 Yankee propsects, Ajax is slated to begin 2008 in Trenton (AA). If he's able to keep up the growth he's shown the past year, a 2009 debut in the Bronx is looking likely.