Several big-name Tigers prospects have made their debut over the last three seasons, and now Jace Jung can be added to the mix. The 23-year-old third baseman has been reportedly promoted to the Majors, which will mark his first Major League action. It’ll come after a strong run in the Minors, one that saw him work a lot of walks and hit for power.
A Look at Jung
Over three years, Josh Jung and Jace Jung were selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. Jace, selected 12th overall in 2022, had a standout career at Texas Tech, as he batted .328/.468/.677 with 39 home runs over 136 college games. The 23-year-old cracked 44 home runs over 253 Minor League games and posted a fairly high career OPS (.845), buoyed largely by his .377 OBP.
Reports indicated Jace has an unorthodox stance and swing at the plate and that’s very much true. The Tigers infield holds the bat high and almost vertically. Nonetheless, Jung can get into his power position quickly and generate very high bat speed.
Jung hit 28 home runs last season across two levels and 20-25 home runs would be a likely benchmark for the young infielder.
Like his brother Josh, Jace has some swing-and-miss in his game. Jace Jung struck out 139 times over 128 games last season but just 95 (22.1% K%) this season with Toledo. He also held his own against non-fastball pitches. The 23-year-old posted a 30.2% Whiff% rate against offspeed pitches in Triple-A (tracked stats) and a 26.9% Whiff% rate against breaking balls.
One thing, though, that Jace did more than Josh in the Minors was take pitches and work counts. Josh never averaged more than 3.9 P/PA but Jace did in 2023 and 2024. It helped Jace produce gaudy walk (16.5% BB%) numbers with the Mud Hens.
Defensively, Jace Jung spent most of 2024 at third base, as opposed to second, where he spent most of his time before this season. He was a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove winner at second last season. But with Colt Keith cemented as the Tigers’ long-term second baseman, Jace is primed to get time at the hot corner with Detroit.
The Tigers will reportedly call up Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney before Detroit’s series against the Yankees. Sweeney was acquired from the Dodgers last month in the Jack Flaherty trade.
Analysis
Much like in 2023, the Tigers’ offense this season has been somewhat sluggish. Detroit hitters have a cumulative .682 OPS, 25th in the Majors as of August 15. That number is lower than what the Tigers offense did in 2023. And, Detroit’s infield was partly the reason why.
Spencer Torkelson, who hit the 30-home run marker in 2023, was demoted to Triple-A after he posted a .597 OPS over 54 games. Javier Baez (.509 OPS) and Gio Urshela (.619 OPS) have also been less-than-stellar.
Jung’s promotion gives the Tigers the chance to get a real look at what he can do at this level, and whether Detroit needs to consider short-term options for 2025.
Fantasy Outlook
There’s no guarantee big bats can hit right off the bat. Just look at what Josh Jung did in his brief cameo in 2022, when he struck out 39 times over 26 games.
Jace Jung won’t have a ton of support around him in the Tigers lineup but there’s major potential in 2025 and beyond. The 23-year-old has above-average power and could produce good batting average numbers with his eye. However, that’s a long-term projection. Be cautious with Jung in fantasy leagues for right now.