Detroit Tigers: Jace Jung gets high compliments about play at third base

Detroit Tigers Jace Jung has been a hot topic this week.

I know, I know, this is the third article this week on Motor City Bengals about Jace Jung. But the Detroit Tigers prospect continues to garner attention, as he has been a hot commodity in Tigers news lately. We'll keep things short and sweet. For Detroit, it's got to be a good thing moving forward.

Detroit Tigers prospect Jace Jung was awarded a MiLB Gold Glove for his play last season. He made some defensive strides and proved the "haters" wrong, as some people (including myself) speculated on Jung's abilities in the field. There were skeptics, but Jung has moved in the right direction. But Jung should be thrilled with some recent comments he received.

Tigers legend and Arizona Fall League skipper Alan Trammell had plenty of good things to say about Jung and his ability to patrol the hot corner. Chris McCosky of The Detroit News wrote up an excellent piece on Trammell's comments. It's a good thing, given that Jung made the move to the hot corner this fall when he headed to Arizona.

For Jung, the future was likely at second base. Heck, in the article I wrote this week. I hinted at Jung being a potential option to make his big league debut in 2024, vying for time at second base. I mentioned that Jung could end up playing some third base, but I assumed that Jung's chances would come at second base when he got to the big leagues.

However, if Alan Trammell endorses Jung, I'd like to believe he can hack it. I'll buy what you're selling, Mr. Trammell. Jung's bat works, and its recent discussion in articles, shows that he was drafted for his bat and ability to hit for power. But improved defense is a good thing and certainly makes it more plausible for him to find a role with Detroit.

If Jung can settle into a third-base role, playing second and third, he could become even more valuable for Detroit. Second and third base are some of the weak spots going into the off-season, so there's room for improvement. A strong start by Jung, plus the ability to play both second and third, could lead to him getting some looks.

Hopefully, the Gold Glove and seemingly smooth transition to third base only help Jung move forward. A good 2023 season should bode well for Jung looking ahead to 2024 and beyond.