2019 MLB Draft: Rangers select Josh Jung with 8th overall pick

With the 8th pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Rangers have selected third baseman Josh Jung from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Although he spent this season at shortstop, Jung is 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds and is primarily viewed as a prospect who’s going to end up playing third base as a pro. Jung has terrific plate discipline, a skill which is shown when you look at his strikeout and walk counts; these stats show that he actually walked more than he struck out in 2018 and 2019 (85 walks to 66 strikeouts). His discipline and vision has allowed him to only swing at the best pitches, and thus he has primarily been a contact hitter. Through three seasons at Texas Tech, Jung produced 29 home runs. Meanwhile, at the hot corner, Jung has terrific instincts and great reaction time, as well as a supreme arm.

Easily the biggest knock to Jung is easily that he is not a very fast runner, which mostly affects him when he is running the bases, but also sometimes in the field. Lucky for him, third base is not typically a position that requires extreme speed, so it shouldn’t hurt his defensive value too tremendously. Some analysts have also mentioned lack of power as something that could hurt Jung’s draft stock, but this trait is there and is just something that needs to be worked on. It didn’t help matters that Jung did not excel as much as many thought he would, although he still posted an OPS over 1.000 on the season.