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Texas Tech baseball alums: Josh Jung is ready for the big leagues

By Matthew Conner

SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 07: Josh Jung #70 of the Texas Rangers during an at bat against the Los Angels Dodgers in the eighth inning of the MLB spring training baseball game at Surprise Stadium on March 07, 2021 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 07: Josh Jung #70 of the Texas Rangers during an at bat against the Los Angels Dodgers in the eighth inning of the MLB spring training baseball game at Surprise Stadium on March 07, 2021 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /
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A huge swath of the Texas Tech baseball fan base also roots for the Texas Rangers.  But with Texas sitting at just 52-64 overall on the season, there isn’t much for Rangers fans to be excited about in mid-August as the team flounders towards yet another losing season.

However, September could bring one development that will have both Texas Tech and Texas Rangers fans excited.  That’s because former Red Raider infielder and current Rangers prospect Josh Jung is likely to be called up when the Major League rosters expand in September.

Currently, Jung is playing at AAA Round Rock where he’s on an absolute tear.  He’s played just six games this year after a spring surgery on his labrum delayed the start of his 2022 season but already, he’s mashed four homers while driving in 12 runners and hitting a sizzling .400.

If he keeps up anything close to that pace for the rest of August, he’ll almost certainly get his first taste of the big leagues this season.  That would be a huge development for both Jung and the Rangers.

Texas currently has a hole at third base, where Jung is playing at AAA after playing both third base and shortstop for the Red Raiders.  In 2021, the Rangers’ third base platoon produced an OPS of just .600, second-to-last in the majors.  This year, of the four players that have manned the hot corner for Texas, none has hit over .257 and none has a slugging percentage over .385 (the 2022 American League average is .401).

That’s where Jung could help immensely.  In his minor league career, he’s proven that he can hit for significant power, something that scouts questioned when he was drafted 8th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.

In 136 minor league games, he’s amassed 28 homers while hitting .322 and slugging .563.  At the AAA level, he’s played 41 games hitting 13 homers, driving in 33, and batting .356.  Yeah, he’s ready for a call-up.

https://twitter.com/RRExpress/status/1559725234529394689?s=20&t=KuQ7W9Hp5q0abie_PnCg6g

Last night, Jung had perhaps his best AAA game to date.  Thumping two 3-run homers, he set a minor league career high with six RBI while going 3-5 and scoring two runs as Round Rock beat El Paso 9-4.

Of course, Jung’s success at the professional level is no surprise to Texas Tech baseball fans.  Arguably the best player to suit up for the Red Raiders in the modern era of the program, he hit .348 while clubbing 33 homers and driving in 181 runners over the course of three seasons.

Along the way, he earned 15 different All-America awards and was twice named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser and Golden Spikes awards given annually to the best player in the NCAA.  What’s more, he was named the D1 Baseball Big 12 Player of the Decade.

Now, Red Raider and Texas Ranger fans alike are eager to see what Jung can do at the Major League level.  He’s back to full health after a major injury and he’s absolutely smoking the ball at AAA.  So it only seems like a matter of time before this Texas Tech baseball great will get his first opportunity in the big leagues.

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