Joshua Ryne Jung...Father, Jeff, is a longtime high school baseball and football coach in the state of Texas...Younger brother, Jace, played three seasons at Texas Tech and was selected by Detroit in the first round (12th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft and split 2023 between Michigan (A+) and Erie (AA)…Grew up a Yankees fan…Is an avid comic book and baseball card collector…Favorite superhero: Captain America.
2023
After making his Major League debut in 2022 (26 G), Jung batted .266/.315/.467/.781 (127-478) with 23 home runs, 25 doubles and 70 RBIs over 122 games in 2023…Made his first career Opening Day roster out of Spring Training and went on to serve as Texas’ primary third baseman throughout the campaign…Was limited by late-season stint on 10-day injured list from 8/7-9/17 (left thumb fracture)…Made team-high 120 starts at third base and registered a .988 (4 E/339 TC) fielding percentage over 121 G at the position...Marked the highest fielding pct. among qualified MLB third basemen, and the 2nd-best single-season mark by a 3B in Rangers history (.991-Steve Buechele in 1991)…Led qualified A.L. 3B with a 6.2 Ultimate Zone Rating, tied with COL’s Ryan McMahon for the Major League lead…Five ‘Outs Above Average’ (Statcast) were also fourth-most among qualified A.L. 3B behind KC’s Maikel Garcia (13), SEA’s Eugenio Suárez (11) and CLE’s José Ramírez (6)...Jung was selected as the Rangers’ 2023 Rookie of the Year by the DFW chapter of the BBWAA and finished fourth in voting for American League Rookie of the Year after batting .266 with 23 HR and 70 RBI over 122 games in his first full Major League campaign…ranked among qualified A.L. rookies in 2B (3rd, 25), RBI (3rd), SLG (3rd, .467), TB (3rd, 223), XBH (3rd, 49), HR (T3rd) and OPS (4th, .781)…according to FanGraphs, his 2.5 fWAR figure was the 7th-highest ever by a Rangers rookie (last 3.0, Adolis García in 2021) and ranked 4th among A.L. rookie position players in 2023 behind only BAL’s Gunnar Henderson (4.6), OAK’s Zack Gelof (2.9) and MIN’s Edouard Julien (2.8)…Jung turned in the sixth 20+ home run season ever by a TEX rookie (last 31, Adolis García in 2021), as his 23 HR were the most by a rookie third baseman in club history (prev. 15, Dean Palmer in 1991)…also finished with the fourth-most TB (223) and XBH (49) ever by a Rangers rookie, and his 70 RBIs were the fifth-most ever by a TEX rook…19 of his 23 HR came before the All-Star break, the second-most pre-ASB HR ever by a Ranger rookie (22-García in 2021)…earned selection as A.L. Rookie of Month for both April/May, the first A.L. rookie to win back-to-back monthly awards since SEA’s Julio Rodríguez (May/June 2022)…joined Nomar Mazara in 2016 (April and May) as second player in TEX history to earn consecutive A.L. Rookie of the Month honors. ALL-STAR: Jung went 0-for-2 as the starting third baseman for the American League in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle on 7/11, his first career All-Star selection…became the first Texas rookie ever to start in an All-Star Game and just the sixth Ranger rookie to receive a selection to the A.L. roster, joining C Jim Sundberg in 1974, RHP Jeff Zimmerman in 1999, RHP Neftalí Feliz in 2010, RHP Yu Darvish in 2012 and OF Adolis García in 2021…also joined ARI’s Corbin Carroll as the first rookies to be elected starters in an All-Star Game since NYY’s Aaron Judge for the A.L. in 2017…Jung was also just the second elected All-Star rookie starter at third base in All-Star Game history, joining Eddie Kazak of the St. Louis Cardinals for the N.L. in 1949.
POSTSEASON: Jung recorded hits in 12 of 17 games/starts (all at 3B) during the 2023 postseason at .308/.329/.538/.867 (20- 65) with three HR, one 3B, three 2B, eight RBIs and 13 R…he became just the sixth rookie in MLB history to record 20+ hits in a single postseason (last 20, HOU’s Jeremy Peña in 2022) and his 13 runs scored were second-most ever by a rookie in one postseason to TB’s Randy Arozarena in 2020 (19)…set Texas postseason rookie records in runs, hits, home runs, RBI and total bases (35)…20 hits were tied with ATL’s Chipper Jones in 1995 (also 20) for the most ever by a rookie as a third baseman over a single postseason…35 total bases set the MLB record for a rookie third baseman in one postseason, surpassing previous high set by Jones in 1995 (34)…went 7-for-20 (.350) with one double and three runs over five games in 2023 World Series vs. Arizona, including a three-hit game in WS G4 on 10/31 at ARI (3-5, 2B, 2 R)…just the 31st three-hit showing ever by a rookie in a World Series contest, first since HOU’s Jeremy Peña in 2022 WS G5 at PHI (also 3 H)…went 2-for-4 with two HR and RBIs in ALCS G3 vs. HOU, 11th multi-HR game by a rookie in MLB postseason history (last MIN’s Royce Lewis in 2023 ALWC G1 vs. TOR)...5th multi-HR game in Rangers postseason history (last 2 HR by Nelson Cruz in 2011 ALCS G2 vs. DET)...Four RBIs were most-ever by a Texas rookie in a postseason contest (prev. 3, Mitch Moreland in 2010 WS G3 vs. SF).
2022
Batted .204/.235/.418/.654 (20-98) with five home runs, four doubles and 14 RBI over 26 games in his Major League debut... opened campaign on Triple-A Round Rock Injured List (torn left labrum) and spent most of season rehabbing following surgery on 2/23...was activated from IL on 8/9 and had his contract selected from Round Rock on 9/9…10 of his 20 hits went for extra bases (5 HR, 1 3B, 4 2B)...recorded five XBH in his first six MLB games, the most ever by a Ranger through six career games... worked first career walk in his 54th PA, as he had 0 BB/25 SO over his first 13 G...batted .270 (10-37) w/ three HR vs. LHP and .164 (10-61) w/ two HR vs. RHP…set career highs with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 H, 9 TB, 2 R, 2 XBH, and three times on base on 9/27 at SEA…his five RBI accounted for every run scored in the Rangers’ 5-0 win, joining CLE’s Joe Carter on 8/12/84 vs. NYY (6 RBI) as just the 2nd MLB rookie to ever have 5+ RBI account for all the runs scored in a game (since RBI became an official stat in 1920)…committed two errors in 76 chances (.974 fielding pct.) over 26 games/starts at third base (25) and designated hitter (1)... started each of team’s final 26 G after he was called up on 9/9, including 19 straight starts at 3B to close the season...entered 2022 rated among the top prospects in baseball by Baseball America (no. 26) and MLB Pipeline (no. 29).
MINORS IN 2022: Played 31 total games with the Arizona Complex League Rangers (Rk.) and Round Rock (AAA), batting .266/.326/.540/.866 (33-124) with nine HR and 29 RBI... saw action in eight games on injury rehab assignment w/ ACL Rangers (.240/.345/.600/.945, 3 HR, 5 RBI) from 7/28-8/6…activated from Round Rock IL on 8/9 and batted .273/.321/.525/.846 w/ six HR, 24 RBI in 23 G w/ Express...hit two HR and recorded career-high 6 RBI on 8/16 vs. El Paso.
2021
Slashed .326/.398/.592/.990 with 19 HR and 61 RBI in 78 G with Round Rock (AAA) and Frisco (AA)…did not begin his season until mid-June, as he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot during spring training and underwent surgery on 3/22 in Dallas…the procedure, which involved a screw being inserted into his foot, was performed by foot specialist Dr. Keith Heier… his .990 OPS figure ranked 6th among all minor league players (min. 300 AB)…committed just one error in 116 total chances at 3B for a .991 fielding pct…finished the season with an 18-G hit streak (.431, 31-72)…entered the season ranked by Baseball America and MLB.com as the Rangers’ top prospect and a top 100 overall prospect by BA (no. 49) and MLB.com (no. 63)… also tabbed by BA as the organization’s “Best Hitter for Average” in the publication’s annual Best Tools survey…at the end of the season, was tabbed by Baseball America as a top prospect in the Triple-A West (no. 4) and Double-A Central (no. 7) leagues… attended a December hitter’s camp for Texas prospects in Arizona and a player development camp/seminar for a select group of top Rangers prospects at Globe Life Field this January.
2020
Due to the cancellation of the minor league season, Jung spent the entire 2020 campaign at the club’s Alternate Training Site in Arlington, participating in daily workouts and scrimmages with a group of Rangers prospects…he also competed in the Fall Developmental League in Arizona, registering a .345/.447/.563/1.010 slash line with three HR and 13 RBI, and finishing among team leaders in runs (1st, 16), doubles (T1st, 10), hits (2nd, 30), and walks (2nd, 15)…was 2-for-8 (.250) with a pair of singles and a run scored in eight Spring Training ‘A’ game appearances prior to the COVID-19 shutdown…saw additional action in Summer Camp scrimmages and workouts at Globe Life Field before the resumption of the regular season in July.
2019
Rated by Baseball America as Texas’ top prospect entering 2020, and as well as no. 55 (MLB.com) and no. 93 (BA) overall on the overall top prospects lists...combined to bat .316 (55-174) with 2 HR and 28 RBI in 44 G with Low-A Hickory and Rookie-level AZL Rangers in his professional debut…homered in 1st pro AB as part of a 3-for-4, 3-RBI performance on 7/11 vs. AZL Dodgers...appeared in just 4 G in the Arizona League before he was promoted to Hickory on 7/16…ranked among South Atlantic League leaders in 2B (T2nd, 13), RBI (T10th, 23), H (T10th, 45), and BA (13th, .287) from the time his promotion thru the end of the season…named the 10th-best prospect in the SAL by Baseball America at the end of the year.
