The Rangers have had one of the deeper lineups in all of baseball since the start of the 2023 season. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager both have been a constant at the top since coming to Texas while Adolis Garcia, Jonah Heim, Josh Smith, and others have given the order a sense of depth that ranks among MLB’s best. Yet, with all the names sprinkled throughout the lineup, Josh Jung has proven to be the spark that gets the bats rolling time and time again.
The Achilles heel is obviously his health.
What Josh Jung Means to the Lineup
Jung has only played roughly 50% of games since the start of 2023, showing up in 172 out of a potential 337 games. 122 of those came in 2023 alone. The upside is that in those games Jung has put up a .270 average with a .774 OPS, tallying 30 home runs, living up to his top 10 prospect expectations.
In addition to his personal numbers, the Rangers record with him in the lineup since ‘23 is 75-49; without, 38-46. That is over a .600 winning percentage with and .452 without him.
This spark just showed up yet again, as in his first two games off the IL, the Rangers' bats have set season-highs in scoring and showed their most complete offensive showing. All while Jung went 4-8 with 2 doubles in the cold and rainy Wrigley Field over those two games.
Not a coincidence whatsoever and for what it’s worth, in four games this season, Jung is off to a great start hitting .467.
Jung is the X-Factor
In a lineup featuring a half-a-billion dollar infield covering one and two spots, a 23-year-old super stud, and the record holder for RBIs in an ALCS, Josh Jung is the straw that stirs the drink. You don't need stats to see the difference in production, quality at-bats, and firepower when he's in versus out of the lineup. Not to mention the depth that opens up when Josh Smith doesn’t have to fill in at third and is able to be the super utility man the Rangers love.
Overall, the Rangers are a different team with Josh Jung healthy, and his health is the x-factor in Texas winning the AL West.
Now, whether or not we as fans should be worried about Jung’s future and if he is just one of those guys that pops up on the IL religiously in a whole other conversation. I will say this, a number of injuries are just terrible luck instead of wear-and-tear soft tissue stuff like a strained muscle, etc., plus he is still just 27 years old.
So fingers crossed and knock on wood that he is able to avoid a prolonged IL stint this year, as he was in ‘23, because this is a different club with him out there.