Bottom 3: struck out swinging against Wilson

Bottom 5: struck out swinging against Wilson

Bottom 7: struck out swinging against Koji Uehara

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Jackson’s golden sombrero during Game 5 of the ALCS was his second of the 2011 season, and the first by any player this postseason.

He has been an interesting case this postseason, as Jim Leyland continues to use him as the leadoff hitter despite his propensity to strikeout. Thus far, he has recorded a multi-strikeout game in six of the Tigers’ 10 postseason games, and has fanned in 18 of his 46 plate appearances – a 39.1% rate. But despite his lack of overall contact, Jackson has still posted a .311 OBP this October thanks to a walk rate of 15.2%, which is well above his career rate of 7.7%.

After playing in 304 regular season games for Tigers over his first two seasons, Jackson has fanned at least twice in 102 games, or 33.6% of the games he’s played in. Normally such a whiff rate would discourage a manager from hitting such a player at the top of the order, but because he is the owner of a career .331 OBP and .369 BABIP, and also possesses 20+ stolen base potential, he has remained a fixture in the leadoff spot. However, due to his declining wRC+ (104 in 2010; 90 in 2011) and wOBA (.333 in 2010; .309 in 2011), perhaps Jackson would benefit from a drop in the batting order next season – or as I like to call it, the B.J. Upton treatment.

Total 2011 Golden Sombreros: 124

Total 2011 Postseason Golden Sombreros: 1

Bottom 1: Austin Jackson called out on strikes against Joe Saunders

Bottom 3: Jackson walked against Saunders

Bottom 5: Jackson struck out swinging against Saunders

Bottom 8: Jackson struck out swinging against Aaron Heilman

Bottom 8: Jackson struck out swinging against Bryan Shaw

Final Line: 0-for-4, BB, 4 K

Notes: Even though the Diamondbacks out-hit the Tigers 12-to-10 on Sunday, Detroit still won decisively.  Once again, a leadoff hitter wore the sombrero, which has become a disturbing trend this season.  Jackson’s sombrero was highlighted by a pair of strikeouts in the eighth inning, an inning in which the Tigers scored seven runs and sent 12 batters to the plate.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 52

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For as many hot starts as there have been across Major League Baseball, there have also been an alarming number of terrible starts.  Considering that we are now two and a half weeks into the season, it may be time to borderline-panic with some players, or if you are big league or fantasy manager, at least begin to consider an alternative.  For some players that may mean a trip to the minor leagues, while for others it may mean more days off and a possible platoon scenario.

One thing I’ve noticed thus far: several players known for their wheels simply aren’t hitting, and more significantly, aren’t getting on base.  So, I thought I’d poll our readers to find out which speedster’s slow start has been the most concerning: Brett Gardner, Chone Figgins, Austin Jackson, or Carl Crawford.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

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Willie Mays Award (Rookie of the Year)

National League:
First Place Vote – Buster Posey (San Francisco)
Second Place Vote – Jason Heyward (Atlanta)
Third Place Vote – Daniel Hudson (Arizona)

American League:
First Place Vote – Neftali Feliz (Texas)
Second Place Vote – Austin Jackson (Detroit)
Third Place Vote – Danny Valencia (Minnesota)

NL East: Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Nationals
NL Central: Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Pirates
NL West: Rockies, Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres
NL Wild Card: Giants
NLCS: Cardinals def. Phillies

NL MVP: Albert Pujols
NL Cy Young: Tommy Hanson
NL ROY: Stephen Strasburg

AL East: Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles
AL Central: White Sox, Tigers, Twins, Indians, Royals
AL West: Rangers, Angels, Mariners, Athletics
AL Wild Card: Rays
ALCS: Rays def. Yankees

AL MVP: Evan Longoria
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
AL ROY: Austin Jackson

World Series: Cardinals def. Rays in 6 games.
World Series MVP: Adam Wainwright