Josh Jung's performance in minors will determine his future with the Texas Rangers

There are a lot of humiliating moments in a baseball player's career. Once bad things happen, they can snowball and Josh Jung has snowballed basically all season and there isn't much hope left, to the point where the Rangers optioned him to Triple-A earlier this week.

There is precedent for Jung's trip to Round Rock to be quick as Jake Burger had a brief stint there earlier in the season and returned to form prior to his short-term injury.

It also seems like he might not be listening to the coaches on how to improve which is not uncommon with big leaguers but when one is struggling so mightily, it is a serious problem.

This is essentially the last hope for Jung for 2025 and there is no rush to get him back up if he is not going to perform like his old self.

In 75 games this year, Jung is slashing is .237/.283/.366 which is contributing to the team's struggles. In 2023, a lot of people viewed him as the lifeline of the offense because when he got hurt they experienced season lows offensively for a long stretch until he returned from the IL.

The common theme for the 2023 players has been to put up career low numbers across the board. It is disheartening to hear chatter about a World Series that seems like a long time ago.

There have been trade rumors and it does not sound positive for Jung's future in Arlington. The organization has been under fire all week but this is a decision that was seen as positive by the fanbase.

The former first round pick has lost his fan favorite tag quickly and is pacing to flame out just like many other Rangers first round picks.

With Sebastian Walcott developing and potentially getting the chance to play third, he may have competition next year. Walcott is not putting up sensational numbers in Double-A but is 2-3 years younger than the average Double-A player and is holding his own.

There are so many factors that can work against Jung in this scenario. It seems like the injuries and inconsistent play have given the organization too much to think about.