| Jason Heyward and Austin Jackson are having bounce-back seasons following a sophomore slump. (US Presswire) |
We've all heard of -- and seen -- the sophomore slump. This season, at least two prominent rookies from the Class of 2010 -- the Braves' Jason Heyward and the Tigers' Austin Jackson -- have seen a junior jump.
Those two, as well as catcher John Jaso, had rough second years in the big leagues, but have bounced back and performed at a high level in their third-year in the big leagues. While thinking about Heyward and Jackson, I wondered if there were any similar players experiencing that kind of improvement after a disappointing second year, and that's where the numbers showed Jaso.
Looking back at all the hitters that garnered Rookie of the Year votes in 2010, you can see not only those who struggled in their second year, only to rebound in their third, but also some who held steady through the three years, like Buster Posey, some who have faded after big rookie years like Danny Valencia and three who didn't seem to have a problem in their second year, only to find trouble in their third season.
Here's a look at the stats, before Saturday's games, of all 11 position players who received votes in 2010:
Jumpers
Jason Heyward: Braves -- Heyward was touted as a can't-miss prospect, and in his rookie year he delivered. The only thing that seemed to be able to stop him was injuries. In 2011 he occassionally looked lost and was regulated to platoon status at times. Now, he's beginning to look like the player many thought he'd be for years to come.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .277 | .393 | .456 | 18 | 6.3 |
| 2011 | .227 | .319 | .389 | 14 | 2.4 |
| 2012 | .272 | .343 | .495 | 24 | 4.6 |
Austin Jackson: Tigers -- Like Heyward, even as he was struggling at the plate, Jackson's defense helped the Tigers. This year his bat is adding as much value as his glove.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .293 | .345 | .400 | 4 | 4.8 |
| 2011 | .249 | .317 | .374 | 10 | 4.8 |
| 2012 | .304 | .384 | .488 | 13 | 4.3 |
John Jaso: Rays, Mariners-- Traded to the Mariners in November for reliever Josh Lueke (who was part of the Cliff Lee deal in 2010), Jaso is thriving in Seattle.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .263 | .372 | .378 | 5 | 2.4 |
| 2011 | .224 | .298 | .354 | 5 | 0.4 |
| 2012 | .277 | .394 | .463 | 8 | 2.8 |
Holding Steady
Buster Posey: Giants-- Posey's 2011 was cut short by injury, but he's returned healthy and an MVP candidate in just his third season.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .305 | .357 | .505 | 18 | 3.7 |
| 2011 | .284 | .368 | .309 | 4 | 1.3 |
| 2012 | .329 | .407 | .534 | 19 | 5.1 |
Neil Walker: Pirates-- Overlooked perhaps because he plays in Pittsburgh, he's done nothing but hit for the Pirates.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .296 | .349 | .448 | 12 | 1.9 |
| 2011 | .273 | .334 | .408 | 12 | 2.3 |
| 2012 | .280 | .342 | .435 | 14 | 2.7 |
Starlin Castro: Cubs-- The Cubs just signed him to a long extension, so they obviously believe his numbers will only improve as he gets older.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .300 | .347 | .408 | 3 | 1.4 |
| 2011 | .307 | .341 | .432 | 10 | 3.0 |
| 2012 | .277 | .312 | .420 | 12 | 2.4 |
Faders
Danny Valencia: Twins, Red Sox-- Valencia struggled in his second year and he's done more than that this season. Minnesota gave up on him, trading him to Boston after Will Middlebrooks went down with a season-ending injury.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .311 | .351 | .448 | 7 | 1.9 |
| 2011 | .246 | .294 | .383 | 15 | -0.6 |
| 2012 | .194 | .206 | .299 | 2 | -1.2 |
Jose Tabata, Pirates -- So much promise, so little production. While several other Pirates prospects have helped them to their current position as a playoff contender, Tabata has not. He's bounced between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis the last two seasons.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .299 | .346 | .400 | 4 | 0.7 |
| 2011 | .266 | .349 | .362 | 4 | 0.2 |
| 2012 | .231 | .300 | .337 | 3 | -0.6 |
Jumping... off a cliff
Gaby Sanchez: Marlins, Pirates -- Sanchez looked like he'd be a valuable hitter for years to come after his first two seasons, only to fall flat in 2012. Miami traded him at the non-waiver trade deadline and he's looked better as a Pirate. He was hitting .202/.250/.306 for Miami and .259/.298/.389 for Pittsburgh. That's not All-Star form, but it is an improvement, at least.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .273 | .341 | .448 | 19 | 0.2 |
| 2011 | .266 | .352 | .427 | 19 | 2.4 |
| 2012 | .215 | .261 | .325 | 4 | -0.9 |
Ike Davis: Mets-- Who can figure out Davis' season? He's struggled, but he's still hit 25 home runs.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .264 | .351 | .440 | 19 | 3.1 |
| 2011 | .302 | .383 | .543 | 7 | 1.2 |
| 2012 | .224 | .293 | .449 | 25 | 0.0 |
Brennan Boesch: Tigers -- Once seen as a big part of the Tigers' future, now Detroit is looking for other options.
| Year | Average | OBP | Slugging | Home runs | WAR* |
| 2010 | .256 | .320 | .416 | 14 | 0.6 |
| 2011 | .283 | .341 | .458 | 16 | 2.3 |
| 2012 | .246 | .287 | .377 | 11 | -1.3 |
* Baseball-Reference WAR
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