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Detroit Tigers need a third baseman. Can prospect Jace Jung be the long-term solution?
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- Detroit Tigers need a third baseman. Can prospect Jace Jung be the long-term solution?
The Detroit Tigers need a third baseman.
But the Tigers haven't signed a third baseman in free agency this offseason, nor have they acquired a third baseman via trade, because president of baseball operations Scott Harris doesn't want to block certain prospects from everyday roles in the big leagues .
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Just like that, the Tigers put top prospect Jace Jung — who recently transitioned from second base to third base — under the microscope for the 2024 season. He took ground balls at third base for the first time in August and played his first game at third base in October. If all goes as planned, Jung will be the Tigers' third baseman by the end of this season.
"I'm happy for it," said Jung, discussing the position change in early November while competing for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. "They said it's a quicker way to the big leagues, so if anybody says that to anybody, I think anybody would take it."
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Detroit Tigers infielder Jace Jung plays third base for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League on November 1, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona.
Jung, 23, hit .265 with 28 home runs, 79 walks (13.8% walk rate) and 139 strikeouts (23.9% strikeout rate) over 128 games last season in High-A West Michigan (81 games) and Double-A Erie (47 games). He also hit .200 with one homer, 14 walks and 19 strikeouts in over 15 games in the Arizona Fall League.
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In Double-A Erie, he posted a .284 batting average with 14 homers while helping the SeaWolves win the Eastern League championship .
Jung, whom the Tigers selected No. 12 overall in the 2022 draft out of Texas Tech, has proven he can hit for power and maintain an above-average walk rate at the High-A and Double-A levels. He would benefit from making more contact on pitches inside the strike zone, but when he puts the ball in play, he creates damage.
A position on defense is the only unanswered question about Jung's future. He played second base in his first two professional seasons, plus most of his college career, but fellow prospect Colt Keith is expected to lock down second base for years to come.
Therefore, the Tigers sent Jung to the Fall League to learn third base.
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"To me, it's was a perfect thing to do," said Ryan Garko, the Tigers' vice president of player development. "We didn't want him to come to spring training and the first time he's ever played third base was this March if we could get all those innings in October and November. Who knows what the path is and when it happens, but for any player, the more positions they can play, the more opportunities to put them in the lineup."
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Jung passed his first test at the hot corner.
He played 80 innings at third base in the Fall League showcase. He received 19 defensive chances and made 11 assists, seven putouts and one error. On Nov. 1, he made a diving stop and a strong throw to end the fifth inning and strand two runners in scoring position.
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"I'm fine at third," Jung said. "It's basically just a different spot. We're ballplayers out here. We're just fielding a ground ball and throwing it to first base, that's the name of the game. I feel like I've gotten into a good rhythm over there."
The Tigers provided in-person instruction when Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell — a special assistant in the front office who played 20 MLB seasons — visited the Fall League to help Jung learn to play third base.
"I went out a few times," Garko said. "We definitely did a little bit of work with him on the side, but we just told him to go play. The thing that we were happy about is the actions were good, the first-step quickness and range were good and the arm had enough carry to make it worth continuing to have him play second and third, which is all we wanted to see."
Jung also received tips from his older brother, Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung . The elder Jung, also a first-round draft pick from Texas Tech, won the 2023 World Series and finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year.
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They've talked more about throwing and less about fielding.
"I've talked to my brother about certain things, like different arm slots," Jung said. "I'm trying to get carry on the ball when I'm throwing it across. You don't have to throw it hard across the field, you just have to get the guy out in time. That's what my brother said. I'm trying to stay who I am and not get away from that."
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Defense aside, the Tigers are confident Jung will continue hitting as he advances through the farm system. He experienced an uptick in contact and power following his July 25 promotion from High-A West Michigan to Double-A Erie.
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It started with a new leg kick in West Michigan that cleaned up his rhythm and timing.
Hitting coordinator Jeff Branson , as well as big brother Josh, were influential in implementing the mechanical adjustment in his lower-half movement. He used the leg kick for the first time May 30 against the Dayton Dragons, only to strike out in all four plate appearances.
"That was the week I won hitter of the week," Jung said. "Nobody would have known that on the first day. The next five days, that leg kick really helped me, so I've stuck with it ever since. You got to critique things in this game, a little bit at a time, and that's what makes you a good ballplayer."
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He hit .222 with five home runs across his first 39 games, from April 6 through May 30. After the first day of the leg kick, he hit .285 with 23 home runs across his final 93 games of the season, from May 31 through Sept. 26.
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The leg kick has become a staple of Jung's hitting mechanics, just like the unorthodox way he holds his bat . The combination of the leg kick, bat setup, plate discipline and raw power should allow him hit his way to Triple-A Toledo and beyond.
At some point, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch would like to construct his infield with Jung at third base, Keith at second base, Javier Báez at shortstop and Spencer Torkelson at first base. Each infielder is capable of crushing more than 25 home runs in a single season, simply based on power potential.
That's why Jung, an offense-first prospect, needs to be ready to play third base for the Tigers.
"I'm just going to try to stay where my feet are," Jung said. "I'll grind day in and day out with the Tigers, and I'll try to be at the top next year. The main goal, wherever I finish, is to get a ring."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers need a 3B. Can Jace Jung be the long-term solution?
