Jace Jung

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Medium
  
  Track Record: There have been only three baseball players from Texas Tech who have gone in the first round. The Jung family counts two of them. Just like his older brother Josh, Jace Jung starred for three seasons at Texas Tech and then was a top 15 pick. The Rangers drafted Josh eighth overall in 2019, and he was a key part of the their World Series triumph in 2023. Jace went 12th overall to the Tigers in 2022 and had a breakout 2023 season, reaching Double-A Erie on July 25 and leading all Tigers farmhands with 28 home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Much like fellow Tigers infield prospect Colt Keith, Jung has more questions in the field than at the plate. Jung is a reliable defender at second base who will make plays on the balls he can reach. He has soft hands, but he’s not particularly rangy. The Tigers let him try third base in the Arizona Fall League. His average arm works, but scouts see him as fringy at either position. At the plate, Jung is a mirror image of his brother. Where Josh was a smooth-swinging righthanded hitter who loves to wear out the opposite field, Jace is a pull-heavy lefthanded hitter with an unconventional setup--he points his bat head to the backstop--and swing. He has a solid understanding of the strike zone and takes his walks, but he’s willing to be fooled at times in exchange for doing damage. Praised for his competitive makeup and leadership attributes in college, and those traits have helped him adapt to pro ball and have him poised to reach MLB as quickly as 2024.
  
  The Future: The Tigers have a slew of bat-first infielders with defensive questions. Much like Keith, Jung will need to keep working on improving defensively, but his power and ability to get on base are valuable, especially for a Tigers team that has lacked impact hitters.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #2 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Being a first-round pick is in the Jung family's bloodlines. Older brother Josh starred at Texas Tech and was drafted eighth overall in 2019 by the Rangers. Jace put together a strong spring campaign for the Red Raiders in 2022, leading the Tigers to draft him 12th overall and sign him for slot value of $4.59 million. The sturdy 6-foot, 205-pound lefthanded batter stood out among collegians for his hitting ability and strike-zone judgment. In 2022, he hit .335 with a .481 on-base percentage while ranking fifth in Division I with 59 walks. Jung made his pro debut with High-A West Michigan and continued to showcase his on-base skills.
  
  Scouting Report: Jung brings an old school approach to the plate in terms of hitting the ball where it's pitched, and has displayed power to all fields. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate, with his barrel dumped back toward the catcher, but the odd positioning has never been an issue. He consistently produced average, on-base ability and power in the Big 12 Conference. Jung has a chance for plus hitting ability and plus in-game power potential, but even if he doesn't reach those gaudy marks, his strong understanding of the strike zone should allow him to get on base consistently. He walked more frequently (20%) than he struck out (16%) in his college career and continued to show a good eye in his pro debut, with 25 walks and 28 strikeouts. Jung will need to hit because he's limited as a defender. He has below-average speed and range but adequate hands and arm strength to make routine plays.
  
  The Future: With Jung's combination of high baseball IQ, plate discipline and hitting ability, Jung is expected to be a fast mover. After a successful campaign with West Michigan, Jung could get tested with an aggressive assignment to Double-A Erie in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #9 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Texas Tech Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.8
  BA Grade: 55/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
  Being a first-round pick is in the Jung bloodlines, as older brother Josh was selected eighth overall in the 2019 draft by the Rangers. There is a chance the younger Jung can top that pick, as he put together another stellar spring campaign. The sturdy 6-foot, 205-pound lefthanded hitter is one of the best pure bats in the college class. Jung brings an old-school approach to the plate in terms of hitting the ball where it’s pitched and has displayed power to all fields in his time at Texas Tech. His gap-to-gap approach will remain the same in the pro ranks and his home run power should translate to a wood bat as well. Though his offensive setup is unique (with the bat head pointed to the backstop), after his load he is in a perfect position to strike and let his hands work. Like most offensive threats, Jung does have a tendency to get “too big” or over swing trying to do too much. However, plate discipline is not a problem, as Jung walked 59 times compared to 42 strikeouts this spring and has a career walk rate of 19.9%. Defensively, Jung won’t wow you with an overall athletic profile, but you can count on the routine plays being made with an average, accurate arm. His baseball IQ and adequate reads off the bat will allow him to stay on the dirt at the next level, with most action being at second base, third base or first base if needed. Jung backs his game up with very high makeup. Certainly the type of player you want in the clubhouse as his leadership at Texas Tech speaks for itself. With Jung’s high baseball IQ, plate discipline and hit tool with power behind it, he could be a fast-mover through a minor league system and should go in the top half of the first round.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #73 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #97 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Being a first-round pick is in the Jung family's bloodlines. Older brother Josh starred at Texas Tech and was drafted eighth overall in 2019 by the Rangers. Jace put together a strong spring campaign for the Red Raiders in 2022, leading the Tigers to draft him 12th overall and sign him for slot value of $4.59 million. The sturdy 6-foot, 205-pound lefthanded batter stood out among collegians for his hitting ability and strike-zone judgment. In 2022, he hit .335 with a .481 on-base percentage while ranking fifth in Division I with 59 walks. Jung made his pro debut with High-A West Michigan and continued to showcase his on-base skills.
  
  Scouting Report: Jung brings an old school approach to the plate in terms of hitting the ball where it's pitched, and has displayed power to all fields. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate, with his barrel dumped back toward the catcher, but the odd positioning has never been an issue. He consistently produced average, on-base ability and power in the Big 12 Conference. Jung has a chance for plus hitting ability and plus in-game power potential, but even if he doesn't reach those gaudy marks, his strong understanding of the strike zone should allow him to get on base consistently. He walked more frequently (20%) than he struck out (16%) in his college career and continued to show a good eye in his pro debut, with 25 walks and 28 strikeouts. Jung will need to hit because he's limited as a defender. He has below-average speed and range but adequate hands and arm strength to make routine plays.
  
  The Future: With Jung's combination of high baseball IQ, plate discipline and hitting ability, Jung is expected to be a fast mover. After a successful campaign with West Michigan, Jung could get tested with an aggressive assignment to Double-A Erie in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Being a first-round pick is in the Jung family's bloodlines. Older brother Josh starred at Texas Tech and was drafted eighth overall in 2019 by the Rangers. Jace put together a strong spring campaign for the Red Raiders in 2022, leading the Tigers to draft him 12th overall and sign him for slot value of $4.59 million. The sturdy 6-foot, 205-pound lefthanded batter stood out among collegians for his hitting ability and strike-zone judgment. In 2022, he hit .335 with a .481 on-base percentage while ranking fifth in Division I with 59 walks. Jung made his pro debut with High-A West Michigan and continued to showcase his on-base skills.
  
  Scouting Report: Jung brings an old school approach to the plate in terms of hitting the ball where it's pitched, and has displayed power to all fields. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate, with his barrel dumped back toward the catcher, but the odd positioning has never been an issue. He consistently produced average, on-base ability and power in the Big 12 Conference. Jung has a chance for plus hitting ability and plus in-game power potential, but even if he doesn't reach those gaudy marks, his strong understanding of the strike zone should allow him to get on base consistently. He walked more frequently (20%) than he struck out (16%) in his college career and continued to show a good eye in his pro debut, with 25 walks and 28 strikeouts. Jung will need to hit because he's limited as a defender. He has below-average speed and range but adequate hands and arm strength to make routine plays.
  
  The Future: With Jung's combination of high baseball IQ, plate discipline and hitting ability, Jung is expected to be a fast mover. After a successful campaign with West Michigan, Jung could get tested with an aggressive assignment to Double-A Erie in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  August Update: Being a first-round pick is in the Jung bloodlines, as older brother Josh was selected eighth overall in the 2019 draft by the Rangers. There is a chance the younger Jung can top that pick, as he put together another stellar spring campaign. The sturdy 6-foot, 205-pound lefthanded hitter is one of the best pure bats in the college class. Jung brings an old-school approach to the plate in terms of hitting the ball where it&#39s pitched and has displayed power to all fields in his time at Texas Tech. His gap-to-gap approach will remain the same in the pro ranks and his home run power should translate to a wood bat as well. Though his offensive setup is unique (with the bat head pointed to the backstop), after his load he is in a perfect position to strike and let his hands work. Like most offensive threats, Jung does have a tendency to get “too big” or over swing trying to do too much. However, plate discipline is not a problem, as Jung walked 59 times compared to 42 strikeouts this spring and has a career walk rate of 19.9%. Defensively, Jung won&#39t wow you with an overall athletic profile, but you can count on the routine plays being made with an average, accurate arm. His baseball IQ and adequate reads off the bat will allow him to stay on the dirt at the next level, with most action being at second base, third base or first base if needed. Jung backs his game up with very high makeup. Certainly the type of player you want in the clubhouse as his leadership at Texas Tech speaks for itself. With Jung&#39s high baseball IQ, plate discipline and hit tool with power behind it, he could be a fast-mover through a minor league system and should go in the top half of the first round.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Run: 40. Field: 45. Arm: 50.