Austin Jackson had a promising MLB career playing center field for the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago White Sox from 2010 to 2017. While his career was relatively short, Jackson made his mark early on and produced some valuable rookie cards that any baseball card collector would love to own. Let’s take a deeper look at Austin Jackson’s baseball card history.
Jackson was drafted by the Tigers in the 8th round of the 2006 MLB Draft out of high school in Florida. He rose quickly through Detroit’s farm system, making his MLB debut in 2010 at just 22 years old. That season, Jackson established himself as the Tigers’ everyday center fielder and leadoff hitter. He batted .293 with 103 runs scored and 16 stolen bases in his rookie campaign, helping Detroit to the AL Central title.
Not surprisingly, Jackson’s stellar rookie season led to some highly sought after rookie cards in 2010. His main rookie card is the 2010 Topps Baseball card #249. These can still be found in packs but have appreciated well in the secondary market. Graded PSA 10 examples currently sell for over $100 due to Jackson’s solid debut and the Tigers’ success that year. His 2010 Bowman Prospects card is also popular with collectors as Jackson’s first mass-produced card showing his potential.
In 2011, Jackson took his game to another level. He batted .300 and led the AL with 103 runs scored while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center. He made the All-Star team and finished 12th in AL MVP voting, establishing himself as one of baseball’s brightest young stars. This breakout season created high demand for Jackson cards at the time. His 2011 Topps Baseball card #249 remains one of his most iconic cards available.
Unfortunately, Jackson struggled with injuries over the next few seasons which hampered his production and trade value. The Tigers decided to trade him after the 2013 season to the Mariners in the three-team deal that brought Prince Fielder to Detroit. Jackson enjoyed a mini-resurgence in 2014 with Seattle, batting .276 in 150 games while playing above-average defense. He made his second All-Star team appearance that season.
Jackson bounced around over the next few years with the Mariners and White Sox, never regaining his early Tigers form due to injuries. He last played in 2017 for Chicago before retiring at age 30. While his career ended prematurely, Jackson showed enough promise early on to make his cards from 2010-2014 some of the more desirable issues from those sets among collectors today.
In today’s market, well-centered examples of Jackson’s 2010 Topps RC in PSA 9 condition sell in the $30-50 range. His 2011 Topps base card remains one of the more affordable from that year in PSA 9 at around $10-15. His 2014 Topps Update card, issued during his bounce-back season with Seattle, can be found PSA 9 for under $10 as well. Jackson autograph cards have held their value relatively well too. Signed rookie cards and game-used memorabilia cards from his Tigers tenure command $50-100 depending on the signing.
While Austin Jackson’s MLB career was cut short, collectors still appreciate his promising early seasons with Detroit that made him one of baseball’s bright young stars of the early 2010s. His Topps rookie cards and All-Star issue cards remain must-owns for Tigers and complete set collectors today. With solid but not overwhelming production overall, Jackson’s cards provide a relatively affordable entry point for collectors looking to add a talented young center fielder from a successful Tigers era to their collections.
