Jace
Jung

2022 MLB Draft: With an unorthodox setup Jung doesn't hit conventionally. Instead of the more traditional setup with the barrel of the bat behind his head, Jung lays his barrel back slightly towards the backstop, a la Mickey Tettleton layback of the barrel. This action simplifies his swing, making it easier to repeat. It also allows him to better get on-plane to the pitch, remove any steepness and just turn the barrel to contact. The lefthanded slugger is strong and with a good weight transfer he can juice balls to all fields with ease, and with an uphill bat path, he's looking to launch. His .277 ISO in 2022 was down a bit from his previous career average of .355, but he lowered his strikeout rate to 14.2%, down from 17%. He also walked 59 times against 42 strikeouts in 295 plate appearances, good for a 20% walk rate. Jung finished with a .335/.481/.612 slash with 14 home runs and 57 RBI. Defensively, Jung shows average arm strength with fair accuracy. With average range, average hands and solid footwork on the DP pivot he's a dependable defender, and likely a near average one at the end of the day at the Major League level.

With an unorthodox Mickey Tettleton layback of the barrel Jung doesn't hit conventionally. Instead of the more traditional setup with the barrel of the bat behind a hitter's head, Jung lays his barrel back slightly towards the backstop. This action simplifies his swing, making it easier to repeat. It also allows him to better get on-plane to the pitch, remove any steepness and just turn the barrel to contact. The lefthanded slugger is strong and with a good weight transfer he can juice balls to all fields with ease, and with an uphill bat path, he's looking to launch. So far this season he has excelled hitting offspeed and had some trouble adjusting to the fastball mix of locations in/out during Saturday's game. He solved the fastball puzzle that Iowa was throwing him on Sunday with a hard single (101 mph exit velocity) to right field on a 94 mph fastball, then belted his fourth home run of the year on an 89 mph elevated "sinker" on the outer half. The shot left the bat at 99 mph and traveled 328 feet to left field, just barely clearing the fence. Jung also barreled another elevated sinker, this one to center field for a long, 389-foot flyout. It left the barrel with an EV of 105 mph. Defensively, Jung showed fringe average arm strength with below average accuracy until unleashing his best bolt on a relay to the plate from right center field. With a quick release, the throw showed average arm strength and one-hopped the catcher at home plate. With average range, average hands and solid footwork on the DP pivot he’s a dependable defender. Likely an average one at the end of the day at the major league level. Area scouts know his intangibles best as Jung is a tough one to get a feel for in a short series. He saves his energy, only showing it in small bursts when the game dictates. Despite a 2-for-7 performance in this two-game series, Jung maintains strong season numbers of .377/.525/.636 with 21 BB and 13 SO. The Red Raider All-American currently sits at No. 4 in our preseason Top 250 and won’t fall too far, but there are several other hitters that are more complete players, and ones that I do like better at this point. Expect him to remain in our top 10 overall prospects, but fall more into the 7-10 range with our next rankings update.

The younger brother of the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 draft (Josh), Jace proves that hitting is genetic. The left handed hitter showed a jumpy to the front side approach, but put together quality at-bats with consistent, hard contact during my three game look. He also alters his setup with two strikes, widening his base, deepening his crouch and shortening his stride to improve his ability to put the ball in play. He finished the CNT season 8-for-30 (.267) with one home run. In his first full season for the Red Raiders this spring, he belted 21 home runs to go along with a .337/.462/.697 slash with more walks (49) than strikeouts (45). Playing mostly second base for the CNT, he showed fringe arm strength during the game, but that may be a bit light as rain caused the cancellation of two I/Os and game situations never put him in position to showcase his full arm strength. He’s also an aggressive baserunner which allows his fringe run tool to play up. Overall, Jung is yet another potential first round bat in the 2022 college draft class.

A highlight from MacArthur High School's weekend scrimmage against John Jay High School was sophomore Jace Jung, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound shortstop. The left-handed hitting Jung has a slender frame, but his quick-twitch actions and smooth bat path create decent power. Jung was able to shoot a difficult inside pitch down the right-field line and his speed helped him cruise into a stand-up triple. In the field, Jung's fielding and throwing skills are clean and efficient, which allows him to make every play look routine.

5-foot-10, 165-pound frame. All-around athlete with fluid movement, strong arm, quick feet, and good range in the middle of the infield. Powerful bat that generates solid contact on upward plane and extends well through the zone.