Texas Rangers All-Star Rookie Josh Jung Still Fighting For Respect
HOUSTON – Josh Jung had two on with two out in the sixth inning Tuesday. The Texas Rangers had already cut the Houston Astros' lead to 2-1 with a run earlier in the inning.
With a 2-2 count, Jung took a fastball from J.P. France, expecting to bring the count full with his baserunners on the move. Instead, home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi called Strike 3, ending the inning and the Rangers' hopes of taking a lead at Minute Maid Park.
It was a particularly frustrating moment for Jung, who has been on the bad side of multiple dubious called strikes during his rookie season. Pitch-tracker clearly showed the pitch was inside, and out of the strike zone.
"I know he was very frustrated by it, he did a good job laying off of it," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "What can you do?"
For Jung, there's very little else he could do during an All-Star rookie season that has in the running for the AL Rookie of the Year award. He leads all rookies with 61 RBI and is second among rookies with 20 home runs. He's second with 64 runs, third with 21 doubles. Only one third baseman has a higher OPS than Jung's .816.
He hit his 20th homer in Monday's loss to the Astros. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Jung is one of three Rangers rookies to hit 20 homers before playing 100 games in their rookie season. He joins Adolis García in 2021 and Dave Hostetler in 1982.
"It’s the most homers I’ve ever hit in a year, which is pretty cool, but I don’t really put a mark on that or anything," Jung said. "I mainly just look at hitting the ball hard and hard-hit percentage."
Jung is batting .272 with an .808 OPS while navigating his first run through major league pitching. Learning the art of adjusting to how pitchers are attacking him is an ever-evolving experience, he said.
"I think the really good ones are really good at doing that from at-bat to at-bat or game to game," said Jung, who is only the sixth Rangers rookie to collect 20 or more homers. "I’m still learning that one. You see it as the league adjusts to you, that’s just kind of the growing pains you go through."
That means seeing a consistent diet of sliders. And hoping umpires start respecting his eye at the plate a little more, especially in crucial situations like Tuesday's 4-3 loss.
"I think I’ve earned my stripes a little bit to have some calls go my way but that’s baseball," he said. "We make mistakes, umpires make mistakes. In that part of the game, in that situation, you just hope that he has his best back there, that’s all there is to it."
There's been no disrespecting Jung's defense. He's made multiple spectacular stops, including a diving stop down the line Monday, and has been particularly accurate throwing to first. His defense has exceeded Bochy's expectations.
"I hate to say that because I knew he was a really good player, but that's how good he's been," Bochy said. "I remember talking to him in Spring Training and I told him that's the one thing we needed to show up every day, consistency on defense. And he's been more than that."
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