Jace Jung joined the Tigers as a first-round pick, but his career has often been overshadowed by others, especially with Jackson Jobe and Max Clark being part of the same draft class. Jung, an advanced college hitter, was the first of the three to reach the major leagues. His initial stint in the majors didn’t impress much, but it was a small sample size, so it’s hard to judge his potential based on that alone.
Nationally, Jung hasn’t always received the same level of praise as some other top prospects, particularly MLB Pipeline, which ranks him 62nd overall. While he has a strong ability to draw walks and hit home runs in the minor leagues, his numbers may be somewhat misleading.
He doesn’t always make hard contact, which is a concern. He has some solid skills, like his plate discipline and ability to work deep into counts, but there’s still no clear standout trait that can make him a star at the major league level.
Jung’s offensive game hasn’t changed much since his college days. He entered professional baseball as a pull hitter, drawing more walks than strikeouts during his college career. After a rough start to his pro career in West Michigan, he bounced back in 2023, making slight adjustments to his swing and dominating at Double-A.
For the 2024 season, Jung played for the Toledo Mud Hens in Triple-A and had a solid year. Even though the league is known for high offensive production, he was 19% better than the average hitter, mainly due to his strong walk rate. However, his power numbers didn’t match what he had done in previous seasons, which means his performance against experienced pitchers will need to improve in the future.
Jace Jung’s 2024 stats:
- 415 plate appearances in Triple-A with a 119 wRC+ (19% better than league average)
- A walk rate of 16.1% and a strikeout rate of 22.4%
- A .198 ISO (measuring isolated power), hitting 14 home runs and stealing 2 bases. In his brief time in the MLB, Jung had 94 plate appearances with a 102 wRC+ (just slightly above average), a 16% walk rate, and a 30.9% strikeout rate. His isolated power was very low at .063, and he didn’t hit any home runs or steal any bases.
During the 2024 season, Jung showed that he’s still a strong hitter against fastballs, posting a .262 batting average and a .477 slugging percentage in at-bats ending with a fastball. He made some improvements against high-velocity pitching compared to 2023, which was important given his average bat speed.
He’s very selective with fastballs in the middle-high part of the strike zone, where he typically hits the ball well. However, he tends to get too eager at times and sacrifices contact in exchange for power, leading to some strikeouts and pop-ups.
Going for power may be his best option because his pure contact ability isn’t that great. He’s unlikely to hit for a high average in the majors and has only average power. To be an everyday player, he will need to focus on hitting for more power, especially to the pull side of the field.
The key question is whether he can avoid becoming a player who walks and strikes out a lot, with only occasional power. If he can hit 15-20 home runs per year and keep drawing walks, he could have a solid role against right-handed pitchers.
In his limited MLB action, Jung did show signs of adjusting his approach, hitting more balls to the opposite field than he had before. This might be a sign of how he can improve. If he can stay focused on fastballs early in the count and hit home runs while also adjusting his approach later in the count, using his excellent eye to take pitches and make solid contact, he could succeed in the majors. His ability to adjust with two strikes might be the key to his career.
It’s also important to note that Jung played through a wrist injury that required surgery after the season. This injury likely affected his performance in the majors, so his stats should be viewed with that in mind.
While Jung’s development has been promising, there is a challenge for the Tigers. His future with the team is uncertain because he doesn’t seem to fit perfectly into their plans. Originally a college second baseman, Jung’s bat was expected to be his way to the majors. He even won a minor league Gold Glove at second base in 2023. However, the Tigers tried him at third base in the Arizona Fall League, and though he showed some improvement, he still looks more natural at second base.
