Jace Jung
3B/2B 6-1 190 Texas Tech
2021 Texas Tech stat line - 56-G, 208-AB, 45-K, 49-BB, .337, 1.159-OPS, .462-OBP, .697-slug, 21-HR, 67-RBI
Jace Jung (Middle-infield, Texas Tech)
When it comes to Jung, the offensive production really stands out. This guy can hit for power AND average. The 2021 Big 12 player of the year batted .337 last season while hitting 21 bombs over the course of 56 games played. While he remains consistent at the plate, Jung does not feature the best range or arm on defense, and therefore, played mostly at second base last season.
2-17-22 -
https://soxmachine.com/2022/02/17/2022-mlb-draft-watch-the-sensational-seven-and-top-100-prospects/ -
Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
The 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year and NCBWA Freshman Position Player of the Year, Jace Jung of Texas Tech is a preseason favorite to win the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser awards in 2022. The younger brother of Josh Jung, who was selected eighth overall by the Texas Rangers in 2019, Jace has a good shot of being selected higher in the draft.
Hitting .337/.462/.697 with 21 home runs last year, Jung is a power-hitting second baseman because the glove has not been good. We’ll have to see early which position Texas Tech plays Jung at, but there are some concerns he could be below average defensively. However, the bat plays, and in a day where teams are coveting hitting skills and trying to figure out the defensive position later, Jung will be an early selection.
2-12-22 - https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=20433&src=hmrep&s=03 -
Golden Spikes Award Winner
Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
The Texas Tech masher combines patience, hit, and power while playing for a program that just puts runs on the board every single season. He is primed for a magnificent year in which few in all of college baseball even have the potential to match. -JG
6. Jace Jung, 2B/3B, Texas Tech
Jung (whose surname is pronounced "young") is the kid brother of Josh, the eighth pick in the 2019 draft and the Rangers' third baseman of the near-future. He has an unusual setup at the plate, as he stands with his barrel angled 45 degrees toward the backstop, giving him an inverted bat wrap of sorts. The odd aesthetics didn't prevent him from batting .337/.462/.697 last season with 21 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. While some scouts have thrown a 60 grade on his future hit and power tools, an analyst cautioned that he whiffed more frequently on pitches thrown within the zone than you would expect from his statline, suggesting the hit portion of that forecast could prove sanguine. That may seem trivial, but bear in mind Jung's future is expected to be as a second baseman in the Max Muncy, offense-over-everything vein.
2-10-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-mlb-mock-draft-version-10/?s=03 -
Baseball America 2022 MLB Mock Draft Version 1.0
6. Marlins — Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
Carlos’ take: I feel like Jung’s talent just fits nicely here. His production as a college infielder is extremely loud and the hit/power combination he offers from the left side is exciting to me. The swing is a bit unorthodox and I don’t know how much defensive value he will necessarily provide, but I think he’s the bat I have the most confidence in at this point with Johnson, Lee and Berry off the board. I probably would have taken Jung before Berry as well, so that makes this decision a bit easier though it would be fun to see Dylan Lesko with Miami’s pitching development group.
Scout’s take: If you didn't take him here, I would have told you that I had Jung on my board here at six. I had him on my list right here with the Marlins. Wow, we have the same top six guys. Not too much difference than Berry here. Maybe one grade lower on the hit/power combo and the fact that Berry is a switch hitter. Jung is playing second now but looks like he’ll move to first base like Berry will and focus more on putting up big numbers.
1-15-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2022-mlb-draft-top-100-prospects/ -
4
Jace Jung
Texas Tech 2B/3B
Notes:
Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 215 | B-T: L-R
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
The younger brother of current Rangers prospect and first-rounder Josh Jung, Jace will look to top his brother’s eighth overall selection in the 2019 draft and could have the offensive chops to do it. The 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year, Jung hit 21 home runs and 10 doubles last spring, while posting a .337/.462/.697 line. That sort of power production as a lefthanded-hitting infielder will have Jung among the top group of college bats in the class, despite a unique hitting setup that might turn some evaluators off. Jung has an upright stance and tilts the bat head back towards the backstop with an unusual lower-hand placement, but it’s hard to argue with his production. He’s handled 93-plus mph velocity well, in addition to breaking balls and offspeed offerings and has shown all-fields power. Defensively, Jung has limited range at second base, but he makes the plays that come to him and could become an adequate defender at the position. He’s not a great athlete and has fringe-average arm strength, so gains in those departments could help his supplemental tool profile. He has the hitting ability and power to profile nicely at a corner spot if he does have to move down the defensive spectrum in pro ball and profiles as one of the best offensive players in the 2022 class.
1-5-21 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft - Prospect Live Mock Draft 1.0
6. Miami Marlins
Jace Jung, Third Base, Texas Tech
The Marlins haven’t had a “type” when it’s come to drafting during the Derek Jeter era. Outfield… infield… pitching… college… preps. It’s a bit all over the map both in terms of profile and model. For that reason, we’ve got Miami selecting one of the best hitters in the class in Jung. The kid can really hit. It might be a 60 hit, 60 power combo. The Marlins don’t have an obvious anchor at third base in the intermediate future. Jose Salas could take the reins, but that is far from a given. Jung isn’t a reach either. He might be the best player on the board in this scenario and he may move quick.
1-5-22 - PG College Baseball @PGCollegeBall
When you OPS over 1.100 with 21 bombs in only your second season, expectations are going to be high!
The power is immense & he might just be the best hitter in the country.
Jace Jung.
1-5-21 - Brian Sakowski @B_Sakowski_PG
Jung will almost assuredly be a top 10 overall pick in July assuming spring performance, and the upside of a plus hit/plus power guy with big walk #’s is in play—the bat is that special. Probably maxes out as a fringe 2B defender, but who cares?
12-30-21 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2021/12/29/2022-mlb-draft-top-300-prospects -
7. Jace Jung 3B - Second Base, Texas Tech
Jace, the younger brother to 2018 first round pick Josh Jung, can flat out mash. A power-oriented corner infielder, Jung hit almost .500 as a senior in high school before stepping in and starting immediately for the Red Raiders. He hit 4 home runs in 16 starts for Texas Tech in 2020 and pumped out 21 more as a true sophomore in 2021. His .337 average was among the best in the Big 12. At 6-foot, 205 pounds, Jung is a thick, super strong middle infielder with serious thump at the plate. He draws a ton of walks and limits his strikeouts to healthy levels. A second baseman now, Jung could probably move to third base at the next level. He’s got an average arm and fringy lateral mobility, but he’s quick enough on his feet where scouts think he may be able to handle the hot corner. That said, we’re certainly talking about a bat-first prospect who could eventually end up a plus-plus hitter with plus juice.
12-27-21 - MLB Pipeline @MLBPipeline
Following in the footsteps of his brother Josh, Jace Jung took over third base for TTU Baseball in 2021 and earned Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors.
12-21-21 -
Jace Jung
Baseball America’s top college prospect is Jace Jung, who is ranked No. 6 overall by MLB Pipeline. Jung, whose older brother Josh was taken No. 1 by the Texas Rangers in 2019, batted .337/.697 last year at Texas Tech. The 6-foot, 200-pound left-handed hitter split time between second and third base during his first two seasons as a Red Raider.
12-17-21 - Perfect Game Mock Draft -
7. Chicago Cubs | Jace Jung, 2B/3B, Texas Tech
The younger brother of Rangers first rounder Josh, Jace is similarly an excellent hitting prospect with some of the biggest raw power in the draft. He was a bona fide Golden Spikes candidate during a breakout sophomore campaign where he finished with 21 home runs, more walks than strikeouts, and a slash line of .337/.471/.697. The power is the carrying tool here as it truly plays to all fields and will approach plus-plus at maturity, while his position at second base ultimately won’t matter if he hits (and will draw plenty of Max Muncy comps). -VC
12-15-21 - mlb - mock draft -
6. Marlins: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
Jung was the Big 12 Conference player of the year in 2021, two years after his older brother Josh won the same award for the Red Raiders before the Rangers drafted him eighth overall. Jace has more power at the same stage of their careers, though Josh had more well-rounded tools.
12-7-21 - SF Draft Talk - Top 25 -
8. Jace Jung
Jung isn't likely to provide much value on the defensive side of the ball. He's a good athlete but isn't particularly twitchy. He's a no-frills type defender at second base with good instincts and reactions but minimal range. Jung has also played some third base but might not have the arm necessary for the position. He projects as a below average defender at both spots but a pro club might be able to get more out of him through positioning and shifting.
Jace is a bat first prospect with a career OPS of 1.135 OPS heading into 2022. He has a chance to be selected earlier than his brother Josh who went 8th overall to the Rangers in 2019.
12-7-21 - Prospects Live - Top 3Bmen -
JACE JUNG, TEXAS TECH
A second baseman now, Jung will probably move to third base at the next level. He’s got an average arm and fringy lateral mobility, but he’s quick enough on his feet where scouts think he may be able to handle the hot corner. That said, we’re certainly talking about a bat-first prospect who could eventually end up a plus-plus hitter with at least solid average juice. Proven, pure college hitters rarely last long in any draft. Should Jung produce in 2022 as he has in his first two years on campus, he’s a good bet to go on day one.
11-23-21 - prospect live -
JACE JUNG, TEXAS TECH
A second baseman now, Jace Jung will probably move to third base at the next level. He’s got an average arm and fringy lateral mobility, but he’s quick enough on his feet where scouts think he may be able to handle the hot corner. That said, we’re certainly talking about a bat-first prospect who could eventually end up a plus-plus hitter with at least solid average juice. Proven, pure college hitters rarely last long in any draft. Should Jung produce in 2022 as he has in his first two years on campus, he’s a good bet to go on day one.
Love hitters, but appears Jung will be gone by our pick
ReplyDeleteYeah.
DeleteHe's history before 1.11 rolls around.