Detroit Tigers

[Whitley]

MLB.com write up on Jace Jung


BioStatsNewsVideo

• AGE
  21
• BATS
  L
• DOB
  10/04/2000
• THROWS
  R
• HT
  6' 0"
• WT
  205
• TWITTER
  @Jace17Jung

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 60

After the Rangers selected Texas Tech third baseman Josh Jung eighth overall in 2019, the Red Raiders replaced him at the hot corner with his younger brother. Jace shifted to second base in 2021 and won Big 12 Conference player of the year honors, just as Josh had two years earlier, and he's primed to go in a similar area in the 2022 Draft. Jace has more power but Josh was a more well-rounded player at the same stage of their careers.

Jung's upright setup at the plate is unorthodox but doesn't prevent him from destroying all types of pitches and pitchers. The left-handed hitter has no discernible weakness at the plate, drawing more walks than strikeouts in each of his first two college seasons while making repeated hard contact to all fields. His hitting ability, strength and bat speed produce home runs from foul pole to foul pole and he makes two-strike adjustments without sacrificing much power.

Most of Jung's value will come from his bat, which is fine because he may hit .300 with 30 homers on an annual basis. His aggressive nature helps him play better than his below-average speed on the bases but his defensive home remains in question. He has fringy arm strength, was erratic at third base and may not be more than adequate at second base.

[Whitley]

Peyton Graham SS, Oklahoma



Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Graham wasn't a big-name recruit but made an immediate impact at Oklahoma, batting .358/.457/.612 with three homers and eight steals in 18 games during the truncated 2020 season. His numbers weren't nearly as loud last year with the Sooners or in the Cape Cod League, but he heated up after a slow start in 2022 and could become the program's first infielder ever selected in the first round. He helped Oklahoma to a second-place finish at the College World Series while becoming the first NCAA Division I player with 20 homers and 30 steals in a season since Texas Tech's Josh Brady in 2004.

Though Graham has good feel for the barrel, he struggled at the beginning of this season when he became too aggressive with his right-handed swing and didn't make consistent contact against anything beyond fastballs. He made adjustments in the final three months, doing a better job of staying back on breaking pitches and understanding that his combination of bat speed and projectable strength will allow him to develop into a solid power hitter without swinging for the fences. He's also a plus runner who's dangerous on the bases.

Graham has drawn some comparisons to Brian Anderson and his defensive versatility adds to his appeal. His quickness, reliable hands and strong arm make him an average defender at shortstop, where he moved this season, and solid at third base, where he spent his first two years at Oklahoma and likely will return in pro ball if he slows down as he matures physically. He might be able to handle second base at the next level and impressed scouts when he played the outfield in the Cape.

[Whitley]

Troy Melton RHP San Diego State




Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Despite having thrown just 25 innings in 2019 and 2020 combined, Melton climbed onto MLB Pipeline’s Draft Top 250 in 2021 despite an uneven season thanks to his size and arm strength. An offseason of work with San Diego area pitching guru Dom Johnson, who has worked with big leaguers like Joe Musgrove, has led to a new delivery and more consistent results as the Aztecs’ Friday night starter.

The 6-foot-4 Melton has the makings of a full starting pitcher’s repertoire. He has a big fastball with good life, up to 97 mph and averaging around 93 mph, and he relies on it heavily. While his slider has been effective at missing some bats, the low-80s breaker is not a true out pitch. He has worked to develop a truer curve, though he hasn’t used it in games much. He has a changeup, but it’s often too firm.

In the past, there were concerns about the length in Melton’s arm action and the shaky command as a result. But Melton has worked to shorten that up and be much more compact, leading to much better strike-throwing. He’ll have to work on some pitch design as a pro, but his size, athleticism on the mound and new delivery should lead to interest in the top five rounds.

[Whitley]

Luke Gold, 2b Boston Colege






Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

In 2021, Boston College was chock full of talent, with outfielder Sal Frelick going in the first round and infielder Cody Morissette a second-round selection. The most consistent performer last spring may have been Gold, who had a .940 OPS for the Eagles and then hit six homers and drove in 23 runs in 27 Cape Cod League games to cement him on follow lists for 2022. He’s done nothing to hurt himself in ACC action this season.

Gold’s carrying card will be his right-handed bat. He’s a student of hitting with a solid overall approach, showing off a compact swing that helps him drive the ball to all fields. It’s more hit over power, but as he showed with wood in his hands on the Cape, there’s a good amount of present strength and there’s more than enough thump in his bat for there to be average power in the future.

A fringy runner, Gold has been Boston College’s second baseman all spring and he's acceptable there. He does have a strong arm and very good instincts, so a team might want to let him start out at third, where he has seen plenty of action, and could work to be an average defender there. It’s definitely bat over glove, but guys who hit in college conferences like the ACC tend to do well in the Draft.

[Whitley]

Andrew Jenkins 1b, Georgia Tech


Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Jenkins has an unusual profile as an extremely aggressive hitter who strikes out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances yet also makes a lot of loud contact. Though he has played only first base at Georgia Tech, he may have some untapped defensive value as well. He batted third in a Yellow Jackets lineup that could have as many as seven players drafted in July.

Built along the lines of Andrew Vaughn, Jenkins has a compact right-handed swing with plenty of bat speed and strength. He gets to most of his plus raw power, generating high exit velocities and driving the ball with authority to all fields. He rarely walks and is vulnerable to sliders, so there is some concern as to how his approach will play at the next level.

More athletic than he looks, Jenkins can show average run times out of the batter's box and moves well for his size. An average to solid defender at first base, he has a stronger arm than most at the position. A third baseman and catcher in high school, he might merit a look at the hot corner or in left or right field.

[ghandi]

"Most of Jung's value will come from his bat, which is fine because he may hit .300 with 30 homers on an annual basis."

Uh huh sure......

[jaadam4]

I wonder who they’ll draft #1 overall next season.

[Cody_Russell]

Have to be big time sellers at the trade deadline to accomplish that!

As bad as the Tigers season seems like, there are somehow 5 teams with a worse record right now. A LOT of crappy teams. The Nationals have the worst record with the amazing Juan Soto on their team.

[froot loops]

That's been a problem with the league in general. In the last 10 years, the whole tanking phenomenon has taken hold. One of the really bad things to happen to MLB is the Astros tanking everything for three years and then coming out of it as a juggernaut. You have teams that try to emulate that and also teams that just want to collect profits while saying that is their plan. It's very hard to distinguish between the two. It has really hurt the game. There are so many things that could be done to make teams more competitive but neither side is really going to budge on it.

[chemiclord]

Well, one clue is if you're in Year 7 of a rebuild with 33 wins at the ASB and nothing but vague promises with your below league average payroll and fans thinking that's just fine.

[The King]

Believe it or not, we’re actually the 6th worst team in baseball. Lol.

Next year there will be a lottery, so who knows what happens.

[The King]

Tanking is in every sport now. It is what it is. People don’t want to be stuck in purgatory.

[froot loops]

People truly want to believe in the scrappy underdog who can win on a small payroll. It was the weirdest thing back when they started the rebuild, a lot of people in here couldn't wait. I think they were kind of embarrassed that the Tigers were spending a lot.

It was very similar to when the Lions hired Millen, they were sick of 9-7, 8-8 years.

[froot loops]

Tanking is in every sport now. It is what it is. People don’t want to be stuck in purgatory.

It doesn't work in baseball. You were providing plenty of hopeful fangraphs articles and they are farther away than they were in 2015 or 2017.

[CGVT]

Watched some of the All Star game last night. I enjoyed the mic'd up players, especially the pitcher from Toronto.

Too bad when Miggy got to bat they were doing some stupid shit with Big Papi acting like a jackass...