How Jace Jung could be following in his brother Josh Jung's path again
Josh Jung and Jace Jung, the former Texas Tech baseball all-America infielders, have always been close. Even after they concluded their college careers and started pro baseball as first-round draft choices, the brothers continued to share a house in Lubbock during the off-season.
Now they might share a position.
Jace Jung, a second baseman throughout his college career and his first two years in the Detroit Tigers' system, played third base in the Arizona Fall League. Jung even got instruction from Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammel.
"They asked him to start playing over there a little bit," Josh Jung said Tuesday. "I think he'll end up playing both, but it just makes him versatile and he's up for the challenge. For him, I know it's any way he can get to the big leagues as fast as he can, you take that road, and then whatever plays out in the big leagues, plays out.
"But he's taking it on. We take ground balls every day. We have conversations about where to play, how to play, how to take angles, all that kind of stuff."
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Josh Jung was the starting third baseman on the Texas Rangers' first World Series championship team in 2023. The Rangers selected Josh eighth overall in the 2019 Major League draft. The Tigers drafted Jace 12th overall in 2022.
Jace Jung's position uncertainty is somewhat linked with that of another of another prospect, fast-rising 22-year-old infielder Colt Keith. The Tigers this past week signed Keith to a six-year, $28.6 million contract with club options through 2032 — a strong endorsement, given Keith has yet to make his Major League debut. That's expected to come this season.
Toward the end of last season, the Tigers moved Keith from third base to second, and it coincided with Jung's switching from second to third.
Hence, the change in the Jung brothers' winter workouts.
"It's a lot of fun taking ground balls now," Josh Jung said, "because he's right behind me. We can have that dialogue, because normally he's 120 feet away and we're just taking ground balls quietly. But it's a lot of fun, and I know he's ready for it."
On MLB Pipeline's preseason top 100 prospects list that came out in late January, Keith is No. 22 and Jung No. 60, making them second and fourth in the Detroit system. Both are lefthanded hitters. Both are listed at a little more than 200 pounds. Both are where they are because of their bat, though Jung surprised the industry in 2023 by winning the Gold Glove award for all second baseman in the minor leagues.
Jung, in 128 games last at High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie, batted .265 with 28 home runs and 82 runs batted in. Keith, in 126 games last year at Erie and Triple-A Toledo, hit .306 with 27 homers and 101 RBI.
Evan Woodbery, a Tigers beat writer for the MLive Media Group, wrote in late January, "As of today, the likeliest bet is that Keith competes for the Tigers’ Opening Day roster as a second baseman, while Jung continues to get everyday work at third base in Triple-A Toledo. ... But that’s hardly set in stone."
Evan Petzold, a Tigers beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, wrote in late January that if all goes as planned Jung could be the Tigers' third baseman by the end of this coming season.
"I'm happy for it," Jung, quoted in November, said in the Free Press story. "They said it's a quicker way to the big leagues, so if anybody says that to anybody, I think anybody would take it."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How Jace Jung could be following in his brother Josh Jung's path again
