
Ex-Texas Tech participant, Texas Rangers best prospect Josh Jung relishes discipline time
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AMARILLO — There were no chants of “Raider Electrical power” when Josh Jung stepped into the batter’s box Tuesday evening.
There had been no raucous college or university young children. Most fans’ shade of pink was not really Texas Tech scarlet.
But with household and close friends in the stands, along with a smattering of Double T clothing, it’s easy to understand that Jung felt like he was back property.
He wasn’t — albeit a lot less than two several hours from his household in Lubbock — but HODGETOWN served as a comforting backdrop for the former Tech standout’s return to taking part in in entrance of common faces.
“Truthfully, it feels like a residence series,” said Jung, now with Double-A Frisco. “I think there is certainly nerves with each individual match — that means you appreciate it. But at the exact same time, I’m just psyched to be again listed here. I’m energized to perform in entrance of variety of my household crowd. It’ll be enjoyable.”
Starting up his adventure
The series against Amarillo was most likely an unforeseen prevent on Jung’s baseball journey. The Texas Rangers’ leading prospect seemed destined to get started the period in a increased classification, with the risk of remaining in the Important Leagues by this level of the summer months.
A stress fracture in his foot derailed that projection, while.
Immediately after operation and months of rehab, Frisco activated Jung on June 15. While participating in in his former place code this 7 days was nice, it is really basically icing on the 23-12 months-old’s cake.
Currently being back on the area was the target all along.
“(It’s been) a rollercoaster,” stated Jung, who also missed a season when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the minor leagues in 2020. “It failed to begin the way I wanted it to, with rehab, going by way of my tiny foot deal. But now I have been listed here for about a thirty day period and a 50 percent. Obtaining my ft again underneath me, acquiring to enjoy every day, it can be just been a blast. Just participating in baseball.
“It really is been about a year and a half given that I’ve played a competitive sport that counted. It can be just been entertaining. It’s been a ride.”
The ride commenced when Texas selected Jung with the eighth pick of the 2019 MLB Draft. That 12 months he batted .316 with 28 RBI in 44 video games of Single-A and rookie ball. Jung was a non-roster invite to Rangers’ spring instruction in advance of his remaining-foot personal injury in March.
Jung took to Double-A quickly, starting his season with a 5-activity hit streak. That integrated a 3-for-5 night with a dwelling run and 4 RBI against Corpus Christi in his next activity.
Getting into Saturday’s matchup with Amarillo, Jung was hitting .296 with 6 household operates and 27 RBI in 29 games. His slugging proportion was .504. He experienced a fantastic fielding share with 41 assists and 6 put-outs at third foundation.
Nonetheless, Jung is not singing his have praises.
“I’ve accomplished Ok,” Jung claimed. “You always put higher expectations on oneself to consider to dwell up to all those. I have been performing all right.”
Keeping the course
You can find been a mastering curve, but which is just section of the sport, he stated.
“Baseball, you might be creating changes all the time,” Jung explained. “Regardless of whether you experience excellent, regardless of whether you experience negative, each individual working day it could be a thing new. But it’s learning to make adjustments on the fly — between pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat — just to be in a position to test to locate accomplishment in some way.”
Jung put that on exhibit previously in the 7 days.
Soon after likely for 4 on Tuesday, he adopted with a hit and three RBI the adhering to recreation. That incorporated the go-forward sacrifice fly in the 10th inning. He also experienced three hits Thursday.
Some in baseball circles consider Jung is in line for one more marketing this yr. Jung explained which is not what he is targeted on, and he would not have a own timetable for when he’d like to reach the MLB.
“For me, it’s just to be where by my toes are,” Jung explained. “Enjoy the course of action, appreciate the place I’m at proper now. You should not want to feel about the potential much too significantly, just be ideal right here and play my match.”
It’s the exact guidance he offered Tech players who ended up drafted previously this thirty day period.
“Get pleasure from the method,” Jung reported. “Delight in the grind. Figure stuff out. Master. Really don’t get each and every working day super really serious. Have fun where by you are, enjoy your teammates and try to find accomplishment in every little thing you do.”
A sibling rivalry
That could be what Jung is before long telling his minimal brother.
Jace Jung done his freshman season at Tech this summer season, racking in accolades from all-The usa choices to Huge 12 Participant of the Calendar year.
“It was unbelievable,” Josh Jung mentioned of his brother’s season. “The stats, anything he place up, it was great to see. I’ve claimed it prior to, but I know he is a wonderful player. I realized he’s a great participant.
“Coming to Tech, I felt like he had sneakers to fill, and I imagine he surpassed everything that I now did in just his initially accurate period at Texas Tech. So it was very awesome.”
The Jung brothers’ influence on Tech is undeniable. They’ve designed quite the admirer foundation, much too.
Jim Hammock, a 40-12 months Lubbock resident and Tech grad, was in Amarillo for do the job Tuesday and took the possibility to view Josh Jung enjoy. He is witnessed lots of each Jungs at Dan Regulation Area at Rip Griffin Park.
“They’ve intended a whole lot for Tim Tadlock’s program, a wonderful offer,” Hammock stated. “They’ve served him with long term recruiting as properly, I imagine. But they are an integral component. Texas Tech baseball is now a nationally recognized staff, and it can be mainly because of players like Josh Jung.”
Jace Jung lately wrapped up play with the Usa Baseball Collegiate National crew. He concluded in time to catch some of Josh’s online games at HODGETOWN.
Early mock drafts have Jace Jung going as significant as the top rated five in 2022. Incorporate it to the helpful levels of competition the two share, which Josh said was a lot more powerful increasing up.
“Every thing we did, anyone experienced to gain,” Josh Jung explained. “Regardless of whether it was taking in meal, enjoying wiffle ball in the yard, online video online games, whichever it was, any individual experienced to win. And now we are each other’s most important cheerleaders, so it truly is fairly great to just see each and every other have accomplishment.”