TEXAS RANGERS TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. JOSH JUNG, 3B
AGE: 22. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 215.
DRAFTED: Texas Tech, 2019.
SIGNED BY: Josh Simpson.
TRACK RECORD: Jung was one of the best hitters in college baseball during his three seasons at Texas Tech. He was a first-team Freshman All-American in 2017, then a second-team All-American in both 2018 and ‘19. The Rangers drafted Jung with the No. 8 overall pick in 2019 and signed him for $4.4 million. After a quick tuneup in the Rookie-level Arizona League, Jung went to the low Class A South Atlantic League in mid-July and helped Hickory capture the second-half crown in the Northern Division.
Jung’s bat is his calling card. He’s calm and under control at the plate, staying inside the ball well with a short stroke and a straightaway hitting approach. He drives the ball well to the middle of the field and right-center field. He’s a patient, disciplined hitter who walked more than he struck out in each of his final two college seasons. He recognizes pitches well and puts himself into favorable counts, though when he does fall behind he’s comfortable hitting in those situations because of his bat-to-ball skills. Jung has a chance to develop into a plus hitter, though the question is how much power he will have. Some scouts think he could have average power, but it’s a hit-first profile, with Jung’s approach geared for line drives and spreading the ball around the park rather than trying to turn on the ball for extra-base damage, and he hit only one home run in 40 games with Hickory, a team that plays its
