DETROIT — For once, the announcement came with little suspense. There was no misdirection, no pranks, no over-the-top shenanigans or emotional embraces.
Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney were taking hacks in the cage with the Toledo Mud Hens before a game in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday afternoon when Mud Hens manager Tim Federowicz entered the cage and blurted out the news.
“Our manager came in and said, ‘Jace and Sweeney are going up,’” Sweeney said. “That simple.”
Perhaps that scene sums up the theme of the Detroit Tigers’ latest promotions perfectly. Although the timing might come as a mild surprise, both of these players have been trending toward the big leagues, and both profile as important pieces of next year’s team. The moves were straightforward, done in the hope of adding positive momentum for the final weeks of this season and providing a preview for what next year might hold.
Jung, the third baseman known best for his powerful left-handed bat, was a first-round pick for the Tigers in 2022. He’s the younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. He’s intense and experienced and gets this promotion after hitting 14 homers and posting a .377 on-base percentage in Toledo.
“I think the first guy he backs down from will be the first guy he ever backs down from,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I think it’s in his DNA. … He’s grown up not really dreaming of this place. He expected this place.”
Welcome to The Show, @jace17jung! pic.twitter.com/Dg7muQuaRf
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 16, 2024
For Jung, there are still questions about his ability to handle third base defensively and hit high-end velocity. In Triple A he hit only .179 with a 34.8 percent whiff rate against pitches 95 mph or above. Scouts have continued to question his play at the hot corner.
Still, Jung brings an impressive hitting aptitude the Tigers hope can make him part of their infield for years to come. He displayed that feel in his first career plate appearance Friday against the New York Yankees. Facing ace Gerrit Cole, Jung got down in the count 1-2, then fouled off two challenging pitches before eventually working a seven-pitch walk.
Jung finished the night 0-for-2 with two walks. He was narrowly caught stealing at second base on a play that was overturned after review and called out on strikes twice, both on borderline pitches that appeared to clip the edge of the strike zone.
After Jung’s second strikeout, Tigers hitting coach Michael Brdar was ejected after the dugout erupted. Hinch went out for a word with home-plate umpire Cory Blaser, and Jung got some of the harsh realities of life in the majors out of the way.
“It’s been a dream for me my whole life just to be here,” Jung said. “Just watching it as a kid growing up, watching the World Series growing up, it’s been a whirlwind, and I’m just excited to be here.”
As for Sweeney, the shortstop was just getting acclimated in Toledo after coming over from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline. Despite average numbers at the Dodgers’ Triple-A site, Sweeney got on a tear shortly after the trade, hitting .381 with two home runs in 11 games with the Mud Hens. As a left-handed-hitting shortstop, Sweeney is an obvious fit as a player who could platoon with Javier Báez at shortstop next season.
Sweeney, though, also has questions to answer, perhaps part of why the Tigers chose to call him up so soon. Scouts have varying opinions on whether he has the defensive chops to stick at shortstop — some praise his glove, others view him more as a second baseman.
Sweeney’s actions looked smooth in his debut Friday, a night when he assisted on seven ground-ball outs.
“I haven’t seen this kid play in person and I haven’t been around him at all,” Hinch said before the game, “but if you look at his range, you look at his arm, if you look at all the attributes that you would want as a shortstop, he has it.”
As for the bat, Sweeney has posted double-digit walk rates in the minors, but there are concerns about his propensity for strikeouts. He impressed with a 90.9 mph average exit velocity in the minors but also had a 34.7 percent whiff rate against breaking balls.
Sweeney went 1-for-3 Friday, and it so just happened he played against the team that drafted him with the No. 20 pick in 2021. The Yankees traded Sweeney to the Dodgers in December before he eventually ended up with Detroit. Friday, Sweeney recorded his first MLB hit in the seventh inning on a ground ball Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres threw wide of first base after a sliding stop.
“It was a generous hit,” Sweeney said. “But yeah, it felt good. … I didn’t know (it was scored a hit) until they threw the ball in.”
We heard Sweeney is trending 📈
Trey Sweeney records his first MLB hit pic.twitter.com/CAWMLk91le
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 17, 2024
The move to promote Sweeney and Jung shows the Tigers are focused on the future. To clear space on the roster, they designated veteran infielder Gio Urshela for assignment and also designated left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas, who had been in Triple A. Hinch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris met with Urshela on Thursday, and Hinch said they told him, “We have to take a step in a new direction to give some opportunities to young players who have earned it.”
Zach McKinstry, another left-handed hitter who had been playing a role similar to the one Sweeney is likely to occupy, curiously remained on the roster as the Tigers instead demoted outfielder Akil Baddoo. But with Riley Greene due back from a rehab assignment soon, another move is looming.
After their MLB debuts, Sweney and Jung talked of the day’s whirlwind excitement and showed gratitude for their family members who made the trip. Jung even watched a video message his brother recorded for him during his postgame media session.
At the same time, both players kept their postgame answers short, sweet and professional. They looked and played like they had been here before.
The Tigers hope they can stick here for a long time.
(Photo: Duane Burleson / Getty Images)
