MLB Draft season is fast approaching and beginning on July 17th, a lot of dreams will be coming true. As the 2022 MLB Draft nears, there are a lot of prospects from both the high school and college ranks whose game will be under the microscope. One of the best hitters at the collegiate level is Jace Jung, second baseman for Texas Tech. If the name sounds familiar, that is because his older brother, Josh Jung, was drafted eighth overall in 2019 by the Texas Rangers. Great baseball ability runs in the family, as Jace is the eighth-best draft prospect according to MLB.com. Here is a 2022 MLB Draft profile for Jung.
Strengths
Jung’s biggest strength is his ability to hit the ball. On the 20-80 scouting scale, he has a 60 on both the hit tool and power. He has such high grades on these tools because he has no major weaknesses at the plate. Jung has the ability to consistently produce hard contact to all fields. His bat speed and strength allow him to hit home runs all around the field, from left to right. The left-handed hitter is able to make adjustments with two strikes and still hit for power.
In 136 games at Texas Tech across three seasons, Jung slashed .328/.468/.647 with 39 home runs and 147 RBI. Perhaps just as impressive was his ability to walk more than he struck out. The 21-year old walked 126 times in college, compared to 102 strikeouts. Jung has one of the best bats in the draft and he has the potential to be an impact hitter.
Weaknesses
Jung’s biggest weakness is on the defensive side of the ball. Scouts aren’t entirely sure where Jung’s defensive place is. When Jung arrived at Texas Tech, he was a third baseman. At third, his arm strength isn’t especially strong and his defensive play was pretty inconsistent. On the 20-80 scale, his arm strength and fielding ability are scored at 45. Since moving to second, Jung’s defense has been decent, but he may never be more than average at the position.
Other than defense, the only other weakness that Jung has is his below average speed. On the 20-80 scale, his running ability is a 40. However, his aggressive base running helps make up for his below average speed.
MLB Player Comparison
When it comes to MLB player comparisons, comparing a prospect to a MLB player doesn’t mean they will become that player, it just means they have similar skill sets. That being said, a player comp for Jung is Robinson Cano. Both are left-handed hitting second baseman with the ability to hit the ball hard from line to line and with power. Both are good hitters with two strikes. Cano is a former Gold Glover, and Jung’s defense is a question, but from an offensive perspective, they have similar tools. By no means is Jung guaranteed to have a career like Cano, but the prospect has a very strong offensive profile.
Draft season is a very exciting time for young men across the country as well as MLB franchises. The future is very bright for one of the best hitting prospects this year in Jace Jung. The 2022 MLB Draft begins Sunday, July 17th and wraps up on Tuesday, July 19th.
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