Josh Jung of the Texas Rangers, April 24, 2023. (AP Photograph/Jeff Dean)
The primary month of the MLB common season has handed, the division races are taking form, and the primary month-to-month season awards have already been handed out. Recipient American League Rookie of the Month award was Josh Jung of the Texas Rangers.
>> Subscribe to Sports activities Spectrum Journal for extra tales the place sports activities and religion intersect <
A terrific begin to the Rookie of the 12 months marketing campaign. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/4JyqY4YqvN
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 3, 2023
Jung appeared in 28 of his group's 30 video games this yr, main all AL rookies in hits (30), residence runs (8) and RBI (24) and solidifying his spot because the Rangers' third baseman. One among Jung's higher video games as a significant leaguer got here Wednesday when he belted it two caretakers and added one in 5 at-bats throughout a 12-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Right here is your AL Rookie of the Month! #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/UIRFzwpOhQ
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 3, 2023
The 25-year-old from San Antonio, Texas was drafted eighth general by the Rangers in 2019 after three seasons at Texas Tech. He obtained his ft moist within the majors final yr, enjoying in 26 video games with the Rangers, however not sufficient to place him out of rookie consideration this season.
Thanks partly to Jung's spectacular begin to the season, the Rangers are in first place within the AL West at 18-12. However what drives Jung to succeed on the baseball discipline, he says, is finally not a need to look nice, however a need to reward God for what He has achieved.
In October 2019, Jung was interviewed by a pastor on the church he attended in faculty at Texas Tech (2017-19).
“Sports activities gained't final without end.” Being a baseball participant is just not going to final without end and finally your identify will go away,” Jung stated, describing his journey of religion. “When that is throughout, the place will your identification be? Who will you be?”
Jung is aware of that his identification is in Christ.
Jung describes himself as a “competitor for Christ”. his Twitter biowhich says, partly, “Baseball is what I do, not who I’m.”
“I gave my life to Christ my freshman yr of highschool after which my freshman yr of faculty I took this step in a private journey with Him for the primary time,” Jung advised HisHuddle.com in December 2020. “My three years at school have been superb in some ways, however the factor that has actually touched me is the recollections of sharing my story with God with others.”
He later continued, “Folks will watch you do issues, and your character is all the time in play. … It's straightforward to comply with [Christ] when every thing goes nice It's onerous when issues are tough. However for me, it's a time to step again and say, 'Okay, what’s God attempting to inform me about myself on this season or this storm, and the way can I come out higher on the opposite aspect of this?' “
Jung stated he finds consolation within the Bible verse Ephesians 6:11, which says, “Placed on the entire armor of God, that you just could possibly stand towards the wiles of the satan.”
“God has outfitted us and is giving us energy,” Jung advised his chum, “to enter the world and unfold the excellent news, unfold the Phrase of God.”
Jung will try to proceed to reside in gentle of the fact of who God made him to be at the same time as he strives for private and group success in his rookie season.
Jung and his Rangers teammates will start the primary of three consecutive street sequence beginning Friday after they face the Angels (17-14). First pitch is scheduled for 9:38 PM ET.
RELATED STORIES:
– TABLE FORTY PODCAST: Texas Rangers GM Chris Younger and spouse Liz
– GETTING INTO THE GAME PODCAST: Paul Goldschmidt – St. Louis Cardinals 1B
– SS PODCAST: 7-time All-Star Matt Holliday on the fitting “sure”, his son Jackson
– GET THE GAME PODCAST: Mickey Weston – Chicago White Sox Chaplain
– WATCH: “I WAS ONE” – MLB Shortstop Tommy Edman