Josh Jung and the Pirates Could Be a Match Made in Heaven
If the Rangers are shopping Jung, the Pirates should give them a call.
If there’s one area where the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates were more than successful, it was their offense’s performance.
After ranking near the bottom of the league in nearly every single offensive category year after year, the Pirates came out swinging this season. With new additions like Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn leading the charge, the Pirates finished with a 101 wRC+, which placed them 15th in baseball.
It was the first time since 2014 that the club had finished with a mark above 100, which speaks to the strong performance of this year’s team.
While the club was strong on offense as a whole, third base was a position that presented some routine challenges for them all season long. Nick Gonzales’ bat was an excellent table setter all year, as he narrowly fell short of a batting title. But while his bat was a highlight for the most part, his glove was not, as his -11 OAA ranked near the bottom of the sport as a whole — not just among third basemen.
However, this offseason, there’s a chance that things could take a turn for the worse at the hot corner. Lowe’s looming free agency has cast a dark cloud over any type of continued optimism for this offensive group heading into 2027. If he leaves, the Pirates are left without a 35-homer, 121 wRC+ bat, which is very difficult to replace in a few short months.
The most likely conclusion is that the Pirates would shift Gonzales back to second base if this were to happen, which would be beneficial for defensive purposes. Although, making that move would leave the Pirates without a third baseman altogether, not just in possession of a light hitter with negative defensive value.
Given this, it would be wise for the club to explore third base options regardless of what happens with Lowe’s free agency.
In either scenario, an upgrade could make a ton of sense, and the perfect solution may come from Arlington, TX: Rangers third baseman Josh Jung.
Jung’s Excellent 2026 Season
He’s now five years deep into his MLB career, and Jung’s big league journey has been a whirlwind to this point. The former 2019 first-round pick has routinely dealt with injuries that have kept him off the field for extended periods of time, and his production while on the field has been less than consistent, too.
Despite the adversity he’s faced to this point, the 2026 season contained an offensive explosion for the 28-year-old third baseman. Through 104 games, Jung crushed 12 homers and slashed .299/.365/.462 with a 136 wRC+. This was good enough to allow him to generate 3.2 fWAR — a career high.
Notably, although his time on the field was still limited by injuries, he was healthy enough for us to see some real gains in his offensive output. For example, Jung’s plate discipline took an encouraging step forward.
His walk rate increased from 5.3% to 7.9%, which was the first time in his career he had even surpassed 6.0%. On top of this, his strikeout rate fell tremendously, dipping from 25.2% to 18% seemingly overnight. Just like his walk rate, this was a career best, as Jung had never seen his strikeout rate dip below 25%.
Another important part of his offensive profile is that Jung consistently makes a hefty amount of hard contact. His hard-hit rate finished just below 50% in 2026, which again set a new career high. In fact, only 26 hitters (min. 400 PA) posted a hard-hit rate above 49%.
Below Josh Jung? NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong; Yankees slugger Ben Rice; the highest-paid player in baseball, Juan Soto; and a number of other superstars around the league.
It doesn’t end there, either. Jung was notoriously a “lefty killer,” as he performed quite well against opposite-handed opponents. Against southpaws, Jung slashed .366/.448/.545 with 12 XBH and a 185 wRC+. Among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, Jung’s 185 wRC+ against left-handers ranked third in baseball.
Of course, the number one drawback in all of this is his struggles with his health. Jung dealt with a hand fracture, an abductor strain, and a calf strain, which kept him off the field for 58 games. Because of that, his sample could be slightly skewed.
Regardless, what Jung showcased this year was a spectacle to see, and it’s not hard to imagine a world where he’s a desired trade chip as a result.
Why Josh Jung and the Pirates Make Sense
When it comes to shifting the conversation more towards why Josh Jung makes sense for the Pirates, there are a plethora of reasons to examine. From Jung helping fill a potential infield vacancy to him profiling as a lefty crusher, this potential pairing could be quite strong if a move were to be made.
Mashing Lefties and Balancing the Lineup
Although the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates were a force to be reckoned with offensively, they weren’t a flawless run-producing machine. In fact, if you ask anyone who closely followed this team this year what their main drawbacks were, chances are pretty good that you’ll hear about their struggles against left-handed pitching early in the conversation.
Against left-handers, the Pirates slashed .248/.316/.385 with a 92 wRC+ (23rd in baseball), which was a pretty notable step down from their offensive rankings as a whole. They also notched a strikeout rate of 25.3% against southpaws, which was good for the third-highest mark in the sport.
If you examine these struggles even more closely, you’ll find that only three of the club’s nine hitters with at least 100 plate appearances posted a wRC+ above league average when facing lefties. This includes some brutal performances from some of their best hitters, such as O’Hearn and Lowe, who combined to post a wRC+ mark below 75.
If you revisit Jung’s left-handed excellence we discussed earlier, he immediately provides a huge upgrade in this department. As we established earlier, Jung was one of the best lefty mashers in all of baseball during the 2026 season, and by adding his bat alone, this offense likely comes very close to being league average.
In addition to this, one of the main reasons the Pirates could have struggled against lefties was because they were very left-handed heavy, with most of their key run producers batting from the left side. By adding Jung, they’re able to add some balance to this group, which could keep them from trotting out lineups that feature rows of lefties that are five players deep.
A Potential Infield Vacancy and a Defensive Upgrade
As mentioned in the introduction, if the Pirates lose Lowe in free agency, they suddenly find themselves with a glaring hole in the infield that they’ll have to address. This will likely become a vacancy at third base, which Jung could address perfectly.
However, regardless of what happens with Lowe, the Pirates need to confront the unfortunate reality of Gonzales’ poor defense at third base. At multiple points during the 2026 season, one of Gonzales’ misplays came in a key situation, which resulted in some close games getting out of hand.
Even with his impressive season offensively, this is something that cannot continue to happen in the future. By acquiring Jung, the Pirates will take a step closer in the right direction.
Of course, Jung is far from a Gold Glover at the hot corner, as he posted a -3 OAA with poor arm strength. However, considering Gonzales’ glove was worth -11 OAA in 2026, this is a Grand Canyon-sized leap forward. There would undoubtedly still be some misplays occasionally, but the difference of having a better defender at third base would be noticeable instantly.
Financially Doable
When it comes to discussing potential moves for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the biggest factor will always be the financials, as they’ve historically avoided spending at virtually every opportunity possible. Even though they’ve shown a newfound willingness to spend within the last year or so, this is still a reality.
Luckily for the Pirates, in Jung’s case, this shouldn’t be much of an issue at the present moment. He’s currently entering his second year of arbitration eligibility. According to Just Baseball’s estimates, he’s expected to receive just shy of $6.0 million.
With Jung in this situation, he’s currently well within the Pirates’ price point. He comes with control until the 2029 season, which is an important factor in this deal, too.
Ultimately, Jung could be an intriguing, cost-effective addition for the Pirates, giving them a controllable player through 2028 without requiring a significant financial commitment. If Pittsburgh is serious about improving its roster while remaining mindful of its payroll, Jung could be the type of move that makes sense.
What Could a Trade Package Look Like?
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at Jung’s production and why this pairing makes sense, the only remaining point to examine is what a potential trade package could look like. Of course, with Jung still being under control until 2029, he’ll likely be a little more expensive in terms of prospect capital. Despite this, the Pirates should still be able to pull this off with relative ease.
With the combination of Jung’s fantastic season, multiple years of control, and the fact that the Rangers may not feel as motivated to part with him as some may think, the Pirates will need to invest heavily in this deal.
The deal will almost certainly be led by two top-15 prospects, which could include some of the Bucs’ higher-ranking arms, such as Khristian Curtis, who brings the potential to start in the middle of the rotation with a deep, electric mix. In addition, you may see the Pirates tap into their catching depth by way of Easton Carmichael, or their excess infield stockpile that’s headlined by Wyatt Sanford.
From that point, you’d likely see the Pirates throw in a prospect near the back end of their top 30 prospect rankings. In other words, this player would be regarded as a “lottery ticket,” as they could bring some upside but don’t have the surface-level value of the headlining pieces. Players I could see making sense in this role include outfielders Titus Dumitru and Lonnie White Jr., or power-hitting infielder Jhonny Severino.
Acquiring Josh Jung from the Texas Rangers presents a golden opportunity for the Pittsburgh Pirates to solidify their infield and address their glaring offensive struggles against left-handed pitching, all without breaking the bank.
While his injury history remains a slight concern and prying him away will require parting with meaningful prospect capital, his career-best 2026 campaign, defensive upgrade at the hot corner, and cost-controlled contract through 2029 make him a near-perfect fit.
If the Pirates are serious about sustaining their momentum and taking the next step forward in 2027, making a bold play for Jung is a calculated risk well worth taking when all is said and done.
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Written by
Jay Staph, a huge baseball fan and stat nerd, founded and ran his own baseball writing website, BSBWrites, at just 16-years-old. With focal points around prospects,…