With a single to left field in the fifth inning off Kansas City pitcher Everett Teaford, Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games on Sunday afternoon.
Jackson, who was a bit of a surprise to see left off the American League All-Star roster, is now batting .335 for the season. More impressive yet is Jackson's ultra-high .411 on-base percentage, which is tops on the team. After allowing him to work through the kinks as a youngster, the Tigers' patience with Jackson as a leadoff hitter appears to be paying huge dividends in 2012.
Still just 25 years old, Jackson's third year in the big leagues is going literally about as well as anyone could have asked for, and this 15-game hitting streak might even be a sign of things to come. While it's still a shame that he wasn't rewarded with an All-Star appearance, the maturation of his overall game is painfully obvious, and it's hard to believe that he won't be a fixture in All-Star Games for years to come.
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