Some folks look for power in their prospects. I look for what Jace Jung brings to the table.
- Born: October 4, 2000
- B/T: Left/Right
- 6’0″, 205-lbs
- Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft from Texas Tech University
The Numbers
His raw numbers are listed above courtesy of baseball-reference.com. Let’s aggregate by year then focus on the important numbers for minor leaguers:
Jung (younger brother of Josh of the Rangers) was drafted and then got in over 100 plate appearances at High-A as a 21-year-old. We didn’t see much power, and he didn’t show much speed, but he got on base and he walked almost as much as he struck out (we’ll come back to that later).
He showed power in college (21 HRs in 2021), and he had a Hard Hit % of 27.2% in High-A, so expect more power as he develops.
Monthly Splits
Indeed his power grew from month to month, while his fantastic batting eye stayed rock solid.
Handedness K% and BB%
A+ (vs RH): 21%K and 18%BB. (vs LH): 21%K and 21%BB.
I mean, this is batting control to dream about! He just won’t strike out too much, and he walks aplenty.
The Scouts
- Rotowire: #149 on their Top 400
- Fantrax: #116 on their Top 400
- RotoProspects: #78 on Top 500
Warnings
Time to see what he can do in Double-A.
Does his college power translate to professional power?
Conclusion
My favorite kind of batter is one who comes out of the gate with a great batting eye. The power can develop, but it can be hard to reign in a free-swinging slugger. Jace Jung is not that type.
This is the kind of top-of-the-order bat who will get on base for his team, and in time will hit a dozen or 20 homers. He’s got the talent.