Bret Jackson overhauls swing

[RowBTrice]

i'll believe it when i see it............in the playoffs!

[Cub_StuckinSTL]

Bjax GO!

[gooner]

I find the vitriol around a center fielder who costs next to nothing, and could very well put up a .255/.340/.445 line with average to slightly above average defense next year...odd.

Oh right. He strikes out a lot. I forgot that suddenly strikeouts matter again. (Newsflash: they still don't as much as you think they do.)

[RedHeadsRule]

I find the vitriol around a center fielder who costs next to nothing, and could very well put up a .255/.340/.445 line with average to slightly above average defense next year...odd.

Oh right. He strikes out a lot. I forgot that suddenly strikeouts matter again. (Newsflash: they still don't as much as you think they do.)

The strikeouts make it really hard to project him reaching that line you posted though. If he puts up that line with 200 K's, I don't think anyone would care about them. It's just not likely.

I haven't totally given up on him and think he's still worth following, especially with these mechanical changes, but the FO has to operate as though he doesn't exist.

[gooner]

The strikeouts make it really hard to project him reaching that line you posted though. If he puts up that line with 200 K's, I don't think anyone would care about them. It's just not likely.

I don't really think his strikeout rate is sustainable, and given his eye and plate discipline (evidenced by his walk rate) I don't think it is as hard to correct as many think it is. You can teach many things around hitting. Learning to take a walk is probably the hardest. I see no evidence that says he can't make adjustments that bring his k rate down to the mid 20's.

but the FO has to operate as though he doesn't exist.

this makes no sense.

[KyleJRM]

I don't expect anything from Jackson and think it would be foolish to expect anything from him.

But the upside if he could fix his flaw is so great that there's no reason not to just stash him at AAA and wait.

Strikeout rate stabilizes incredibly quickly. There's no reason to think it's unsustainable.

[RedHeadsRule]

this makes no sense.

You can't count on him producing in 2013. Hopefully we go into the season with three real outfielders, not including Jackson.

[gooner]

You can't count on him producing in 2013. Hopefully we go into the season with three real outfielders, not including Jackson.

This still makes no sense.

[KyleJRM]

It makes perfect sense.

[1908_Cubs]

This still makes no sense.

It does to a point. You shouldn't block Jackson long term, but I wouldn't enter 2013 and expect his swing has fixed his strikeout rate. While strikouts don't matter that much, they do when they exceptionally hinder your ability to make contact, which it's doing to Jackson. His swing is long and loopy. Or it was.

It makes the most sense to operate in the assumption that he wont be able to fix it, rather than bank on it right off the bat.

If his swing truly is fixed, and has shown to eliminate the strikeouts, then let him prove it in AAA for a month or two. You can always trade David Dejesus later, or Soriano (possibly, though less likely) and re-plug him in.

[CubbieSteve]

If Jackson's our starting CF'er next year, I'll be forced to admit that the FO is deliberately trying to lose.

[1908_Cubs]

If Jackson's our starting CF'er next year, I'll be forced to admit that the FO is deliberately trying to lose.

Unless they truly believe his strikeout issues have fixed. Which would make him a fairly good option to open the year in CF.

Although with the way they approached Rizzo - AAA to fix the swing mechanics of 2011 that were an issue, you have to assume Jackson is going to get the same treatments.

[thawv]

This is great to hear. He has all the tools to be a star.

Up until last year, if a position player was "in the hands" of the Cubs farm system, he was eventually ruined. The last first round hitter to become a star was Palmerio (1985). And he cheated!

They do pretty well at pitching prospects, but hitters are a different story. Thanks God Rizzo didn't get his "training" with the Cubs farm hands!

[gooner]

It does to a point. You shouldn't block Jackson long term, but I wouldn't enter 2013 and expect his swing has fixed his strikeout rate. While strikouts don't matter that much, they do when they exceptionally hinder your ability to make contact, which it's doing to Jackson. His swing is long and loopy. Or it was.

It makes the most sense to operate in the assumption that he wont be able to fix it, rather than bank on it right off the bat.

If his swing truly is fixed, and has shown to eliminate the strikeouts, then let him prove it in AAA for a month or two. You can always trade David Dejesus later, or Soriano (possibly, though less likely) and re-plug him in.

DeJesus getting flipped at the deadline is a given. And I never said Jackson won't start 2013 in AAA. He probably will. But there is a big difference between saying he will require a month or two in the minors and saying we should act like he doesn't exist. Or treating him as an unexpected surprise if he shows us something in AAA. Because for a majority of 2013, Brett Jackson will be (or at the very least, should be) our center fielder. For better or worse.

You don't make judgments on players like him based on 140 major league plate appearances.

[KyleJRM]

I'm going with "for worse."

The judgement isn't based on 140 MLB plate appearances. The fatal contact problems appeared as soon as he faced advanced pitching in the minors.