Texas Rangers infielder Josh Jung has taken over as the favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year, per FanDuel. Meanwhile, James Outman of the Los Angeles Dodgers remains the favorite in the National League.
Jung, a 25-year old third baseman, is hitting .260/.313/.481 with a .793 OPS and six home runs through 112 plate appearances for the Rangers. He appeared in 26 games last year, but 2023 is his official rookie season.
Josh Jung was recently named the Rookie of the Month for April in the AL. Jung and Outman have stolen the show as far as rookies go in 2023, as Outman won the same award in the NL.
The Rangers have benefitted from Jung's effort without question. Texas entered the year with lofty aspirations, but there still was some uncertainty on the roster. That uncertainty has only increased with both SS Corey Seager and SP Jacob deGrom dealing with injury trouble. With players like Jung stepping up though, the Rangers hold an 18-12 record as of this story's publication. Despite playing in the same division as talented teams like the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Angels, Texas currently leads the AL West.
It will be intriguing to see if Jung can remain consistent throughout the 2023 campaign. He's hitting the ball hard but hasn't drawn many walks. If he can find ways to get on-base on a regular basis while limiting strikeouts, Jung could run away with the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
Josh Jung and the Rangers will try to continue performing well in 2023 as the season continues on.