An ‘Obsessed’ Josh Jung Could be Great News for Rangers Offense in 2026

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Stand in the middle of the back fields at the spring training facility for the Texas Rangers and follow the crack of the bat during live batting practices.

Chances are third baseman Josh Jung is on the other end of the bat.

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Perhaps no player has had a hotter start at spring training during live BP than Jung, who is entering his fourth full season in the Majors with more to prove than one might expect for a first-round pick.

He was optioned for nearly a month in July when the Rangers weren’t happy with his approach. In the offseason, when the talk of turning the Texas offense comes up, president of baseball operations Chris Young seems to have Jung’s name on the tip of his tongue.

Live BP isn’t necessarily indicative of regular-season results. But Jung enters this spring at a potential turning point in his career and focused on the process and not the result.

“The big thing for me this year is just becoming obsessed again and re-engaging and recommitting to the process,” Jung said. “I feel like I let the day-to-day stats kind of drive me last year and that’s a roller coaster and that’s not fun.”

Josh Jung’s Importance to Texas Offense

Mackenzie Gore with a live BP today in Surprise. The new Rangers starter gave up a first pitch hit to Josh Jung and then a single to Josh Smith. Jung has been absolutely raking during live BP. pic.twitter.com/ZcNU67ejeM
— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) February 17, 2026

When the Rangers won the World Series in 2023, Jung slashed .266/.315/.467 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI. When he suffered a left thumb fracture trying to field a sharp line drive his bat was missed.

Since then, his offensive production has dropped. Some of that was driven by a 2024 right wrist fracture when he was hit by a pitch on the first full week of the season. He managed to match his slash for 2023 in 46 games — .264/.298/.421 — with seven home runs and 16 RBI. But last season Jung’s number took a dip, as did many players on the team. He slashed .251/.294/.390 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI.

He’s over the wrist fracture but manager Skip Schumker didn’t dismiss the thought that the type of injury he suffered takes more time to get past than others.

“I'd rather be hit in the face than be hit in the hands as a baseball player,” Schumaker said. The hand injury is so challenging to come back from. It's your carrying tool when you are a hitter, so it does take a lot longer than people think.”

Maybe Jung needed more time. In July, struggling with strikeouts and chase, the Rangers did something unusual — they optioned him to Round Rock and had him work on his swing for nearly three weeks. The splits were encouraging:

Before July 2: .237/.283/.366 with a .648 OPS

After July 21: .271/.308/.424 with a .732 OPS

That surge at the end of the season seems to have carried over to spring training.

“I feel like I’m in a good spot,” Jung said. “I want to come out hot and stay hot.”

Schumaker praised Jung’s approach this offseason and the work he’s put in with new hitting coach Justin Viele, who has been in the hitting room since Jung was promoted in late 2022 but in his first year as the lead hitting coach.

The process is about making Jung a better hit, not changing his make-up as a hitter or asking him to do more than he should. Because Jung is such a good defender — he was part of a Rangers defense that set a fielding percentage record last season — Texas needs his bat in the lineup every day.

“I'm not looking for him to hit 30 to 40 home runs,” Schumaker said. “I'm looking for him to be a really good hitter.”

Jung wants the same thing. Now that’s he’s arbitration-eligible and has two more years of team control, he’s closer to free agency than he is to his rookie season. There are good paydays to be had for hitters like Jung who can combine average with great slug.

But consistency is key. He knows he needs to leave the roller coaster behind and to do that’s about effort and process every day — with no guarantees.

“If I can lay my head down knowing I did everything possible to prepare for the game, the results will take of themselves,” he said. “Even if you don’t succeed, you did everything you could.”