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. 

No ad available
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.

No ad available
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.

No ad available
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

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook.

No ad available