The Texas Rangers have one of the best third-base prospects in all of baseball, according to MLB.com.
The site, which is unveiling its Top 10 prospects at each position, named third baseman Josh Jung No. 4 overall. He was behind the Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson, New York Mets’ Brett Baty and Tampa Bay Rays’ Curtis Mead.
MLB.com also has Jung as the Rangers’ No. 1 overall prospect.
Jung is likely to fall off the prospect list shortly after the season begins, as the Rangers expect him to be their Opening Day third baseman after he played nearly a month in the bigs to end last season.
Jung played in 26 games for the Rangers and batted .204/.235/.418/.653 (20-for-98) with four doubles, one triple, five home runs and 14 RBI. He walked four times and struck out 39 times.
Jung was expected to be the Opening Day third baseman last April, but an injury nearly ended his 2022 season. He tore a shoulder labrum during spring training, an injury the Rangers expected would cost him the season.
But Jung progressed faster during his recovery than expected. He was sent to the Arizona Complex League Rangers on July 28 to begin a rehab assignment. On Aug. 9, the Rangers sent him back to Round Rock and activated him from the 60-day injured list. The Rangers called Jung up on Sept. 9.
Jung batted .266/.326/.540/.866 in 31 minor-league games (33-for-124). He scored 19 runs and hit seven doubles, nine home runs and 29 RBI. He struck out 35 times and walked seven times. He stole one base.
He went off with the Express, hitting .273 and hitting six home runs, some of which were tape-measure shots, and was named one of the Rangers’ top minor league players for August.
Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training to the team’s facility in Surprise, Ariz., on Feb. 15, with position players to follow by Feb. 20.
The Spring Training game schedule starts on Feb. 24 with a game against Kansas City at the Surprise complex shared with the Royals.
The Rangers wrap up their exhibition season with a pair of games at Globe Life Field against the Royals on March 27 and 28. The Rangers open up the regular season at home against Philadelphia on March 30.
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