JaCoby Jones is winning hearts and robbing hits in center field

There are few players who were bigger question marks for the Tigers going into the season than JaCoby Jones. The young rookie had a brief stint with the team in the 2016 season, but aside from an exciting hit in his debut game, his time was short-lived and uneventful. So when it became apparent the Tigers were seriously considering Jones for the centerfield platoon, people asked themselves: is he ready?

With J.D. Martinez getting injured right before the end of spring training, Jones’ place on the roster was assured. Now that Mikie Mahtook and Tyler Collins would be dividing their time in right field, Jones would become Brad Ausmus’s go-to centerfielder.

In the first game the Tigers played in Chicago, Jones knocked in a home run, loudly proclaiming “Here I am!” to everyone watching.

He didn’t slow down there. During the Tigers home opener, Jones absolutely robbed Jackie Bradley Jr. of a hit to left center, then followed it up with a base hit at the bottom of the inning.

As if that wasn’t enough, after a lengthy at-bat Jones was able to get the game winning RBI, with his disciplined walk. After the game he was humble and charmed fans during his postgame interview.

While it’s obviously too early in the season to know if Jones will continue to be this exciting, he has certainly made everyone sit up and take notice of him.