Cleveland Indians: Austin Jackson’s subtle Impact

The Cleveland Indians are benefiting from a veteran who has surprised some and has worked for all that has been given to him.

Perhaps subtle isn’t the right word given how well outfielder Austin Jackson swung the bat during the Cleveland Indians‘ recent road trip, but Jackson isn’t exactly the first name that comes to mind for fans when you ask about an impact player in the lineup.

That said, t a recent tweet from the Tribe’s (and GOAT Twitter account in sports) says it all:

Per the rules of math, that is a 33 point bump over the course of the last eight games. While he isn’t third baseman Jose Ramirez, nor a starter when the roster is fully healthy, a player like Jackson is essential to this team’s success.

Jackson’s .348 batting average in June would be on top of Tribe fans’ minds if it weren’t for the aforementioned Ramirez hitting quite literally everything for extra bases.

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For perspective on just how well Jackson is hitting on the year, heading into Friday’s game according to baseball-reference.com, his current .301 average would be his highest since 2012. No, he won’t stay a .300 hitter all year, but Jackson hasn’t been a positive contributor since he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2014.

Injuries just simply kept him off the field, which allowed the Indians to swoop in and sign the veteran for a measly $1.5 million.

He’s also slugging an incredible .516. Jackson is not a home run guy, but 13 of his 28 hits have been for extra bases, giving him 48 total bases in only 34 games. Jackson is also crushing lefties in the way fellow outfielder Brandon Guyer was supposed to, hitting .351 against them.

This helps ease the pressure of center fielder Bradley Zimmer‘s major league adjustment and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall‘s documented struggles against southpaws.

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Sure, it is a small sample size of only 110 plate appearances. Then again, outfielder Abraham Almonte was hitting .221 over 100 plate appearances before hitting the DL and Guyer was at .182 over 60 plate appearances, often looking completely overmatched in the process.

Jackson’s 15 RBI are already more than Almonte (6) and Guyer (5) combined. As both of those guys make their way back to full strength, it’s going to be a difficult case to make for either Almonte or Guyer to displace Jackson.

It’s also worth noting that Jackson can actually play all three outfield spots. You can possibly say Almonte can as well, but not effectively. Chisenhall was miscast out there earlier in the year.

With Zimmer locking down the position, Jackson is the ideal fourth outfielder in that he can play a true center field, but also use those skills in the corner spots. He is an option than Daniel Robertson (.211 / .277 / .329) for the rest of the season.

Jackson isn’t necessarily going to be the key player that pushes the Indians over the top in 2017. The core group of players like shortstop Francisco Lindor, second baseman Jason Kipnis, and the rotation will take care of that.

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But what Jackson is capable of is providing the needed depth and bottom of the order production needed to be a complete team in October. Remember, Coco Crisp was a huge boost to the club late in the season and through the World Series as a do all outfielder. Jackson just happens to be taking on that role for 2017.