Jace Jung is back in the big leagues. The Tigers officially announced his call-up on Monday, as Jung was seen taking grounders at Comerica Park. He rejoins the roster as Ryan Kreidler was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
After a difficult spring training that cost him a shot at Detroit’s Opening Day roster, Jace Jung went to Toledo with a chip on his shoulder, and he’s responded like a player with something to prove. Determined to earn his way back, he’s showing exactly why he’s still one of the Tigers’ most exciting offensive prospects. His early-season production at Triple-A Toledo in 2025 has been nothing short of encouraging, especially when you consider the adjustments he’s made since 2024.
According to recent comments in an article from Tony Paul at The Detroit News ($), Jung came into camp with a real opportunity to seize a big-league job. But after a rough performance at the plate, the Tigers had him refocus on both his defense and his approach. The results are showing.
“If I would’ve hit, I would’ve made the team,” Jung told the News. “You learn from it, and you keep going.”
He’s done exactly that.
From Plate Discipline to Raw Power
In 2024, Jung posted solid underlying numbers in Toledo:
- Average Exit Velocity: 87.4 mph
- Hard Hit Rate: 35.1%
- Barrel Rate: 8.1%
- Sweet Spot Rate: 37.1%
- Average Distance: 171.5 ft
In 2025, those numbers have taken a massive leap:
- Average Exit Velocity: 91.3 mph
- Hard Hit Rate: 57.8%
- Barrel Rate: 22.2%
- Sweet Spot Rate: 40.0%
- Average Distance: 216.8 ft
That’s not just marginal improvement. That’s evidence of a hitter who is both making better swing decisions and doing more damage on contact. Keep in mind, this is on a smaller sample size in 2025, but these are the numbers we are working with.
Batted Ball Adjustments
In terms of quality contact, 2025 has featured an explosion in slugging-type batted balls:
- Line Drive ISO: .555 in 2025 vs. .455 in 2024
- Fly Ball ISO: .588 in 2025 vs. .606 in 2024
- Hard-Hit Fly Balls: 13 out of 18 in 2025
He’s lifting the ball more effectively and getting better launch angles. We saw it firsthand in his 109.7 mph home run on April 11, and again in multiple sharp flyouts over 100 mph that just missed leaving the yard.
Jace Jung hits a 424 foot 109.7 MPH to center field for his third home run of the season. Toledo leads 7-3 pic.twitter.com/dzu6agt8lo
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 12, 2025
Jace Jung with a 402-foot bomb to right to put the Mud Hens up 1-0 early. It’s his 2nd homer run of the year. pic.twitter.com/PgzHzQNuL8
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 9, 2024
Plate Discipline Still Intact
One of the more impressive aspects of Jung’s development is that his newfound power hasn’t come at the cost of discipline:
- Swing %: 42.0% in 2025 vs. 41.3% in 2024
- Chase Rate (O-Swing %): 21.9% in 2025 vs. 21.6% in 2024
The only area with a slight regression is overall contact rate (66.7% vs. 73.6%), but it’s likely a byproduct of swinging with more intent.
“I’m in Triple A. So I’m going to enjoy Triple A, while I’m here,” Jung added.
Brief Look at 2024 in Detroit
In his brief stint with Detroit in 2024, Jung looked a bit overmatched, especially against elevated velocity. The decision to focus on defense and recalibrate his approach now looks wise. He’s seeing more success handling fastballs up in the zone, as seen by his ability to barrel multiple four-seamers in Toledo.
What Comes Next
Detroit’s infield remains in flux, and Jace Jung is making a loud case to be part of the mix. The Tigers have leaned heavily into flexibility, and Jung’s ability to play both second and third while mashing in Toledo fits perfectly into that mold, especially with the struggles of Colt Keith at second. If what he did in Toledo can translate at the big league level, it gives the Tigers another Swiss knife type of player in the infield.
Special thanks to Jerry Mackinem for helping organize and interpret the data on short notice. This piece wouldn’t have come together without his help in the clutch.
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