The Tigers offense has once again failed to live up to expectations early on this season, and few have struggled as heavily as Austin Jackson.  While he had one of the finest rookies seasons last year he has failed to find similar magic this season.  When the Tigers were making improvements this offseason one area they felt very confident was their leadoff hitter.  It’s hard to imagine the Tigers brass was expecting such a fine season from Jackson, but they certainly weren’t anticipating such a poor start.

While it would be ideal to use Jackson as a leadoff hitter to set up the Tigers offense with his speed, batting .189 is making it very difficult to keep him in the lineup let alone the top of the order.  Jackson has been in a slump for the first 28 games of the season, and has only just recently started hitting the ball hard.  When Jackson has made contact he has frequently hit soft rollers in the infield, skied pop ups to outfield, and simply looked over matched by opposing pitchers.  Unfortunately making contact has been easier said than done for the Tigers young phoneme.  After striking out 170 times last season it was clear one of his main goals would be to cut down on giving away at bats, but he is actually gone in the wrong direction so far this season.  Jackson is currently on pace to tie the single season record for strike outs with 223.  Despite cruising his way through his rookie year, he has had nothing but struggles in his sophomore campaign.

It would be too easy for the Tigers to drop Jackson in the order or send him down to the minors for to rebuild his confidence, except the Tigers don’t have a player like him anywhere in their system.  As Jacksons struggles are punishing the Tigers for relying so heavily on a young player in such an important spot, it also is another reminder of the Tigers inability to develop position players.  Another factor that is certainly isn’t making life any easier for Austin Jackson is living within Curtis Granderson’s shadow.

Last year Jackson made it relatively easy for fans to get over Grandersons departure, but that didn’t stop fans from still rooting and following the former Tiger.  Granderson’s jersey is still frequently seen at Comerica Park and fans are questioning more than ever why isn’t on the team as he he propelled a strong finish into an all-star caliber start to this season.  Regardless of how well the trade has worked out for the Tigers, it has become apparent Granderson will always hold a special place in Tiger fans hearts and be a player Jackson will be compared to.

However the Tigers must find ways for Jackson to regain his confidence, days off haven’t seemed to help, but batting him in front of Cabrera might ignite his bat.  Batting in front of Cabrera should allow him to see better pitches and lessen the pressure of batting leadoff.  Granted that leaves the Tigers with few options atop the order, it’s a role Jackson cannot handle right now.

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