A busy week of deals continued Friday as the Honolulu Hammerheads and Burlingame Blue Ducks made their second deal in as many days as GM Ross Horiuchi announced the acquisition of outfielder Dylan Carlson (3/$15) for prospect Jace Jung (Minors).
Carlson's own manager was driving the hype train last spring, predicting big things for a player he envisioned as his leadoff man. That train went off the rails in a hurry as Carlson mostly struggled before landing on the injured list in May with a hamstring strain. A thumb sprain put him back on the shelf in September and the outfielder couldn't really get going in between. In the end, Carlson slashed .236/.316/.380 across 488 plate appearances. After popping 18 home runs in 2021, Carlson managed eight long balls last season to go along with five steals in seven attempts. If there's a silver lining it's that Carlson trimmed his strikeout rate five percentage points to 19.3%. Keep in mind too that Carlson is still only 24 years old and will be for the entirely of the 2023 season which likely has the Heads thinking there is more in the tank.
While far too young to give up on, the switch hitter had dramatic platoon splits and the Cardinals may be forced dial back his playing time slightly if his struggles against lefties continue.
The younger brother of Rangers top prospect Josh, Jace really excelled as a hitter during his time at Texas Tech. He had an OPS over 1.000 all three years and slashed .335/.481/.612 with 14 home runs, 59 walks and 42 strikeouts in 61 games as a junior while routinely being pitched around. Detroit grabbed him with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. The lefty hitter showcased significant power to all fields while in college. A below-average runner with an average arm, Jung won't be a great defensive option, and he might fit best at designated hitter long term. He gets high marks for his baseball IQ and leadership qualities. Former general manager Al Avila doesn't have many hits to point to in the draft, and Jung's debut was pretty tepid. He hit just one home run in 30 games at High-A with a .102 ISO while being extremely passive and seemingly waiting for the perfect pitch. Given his defensive deficiencies, Jung needs to make a major impact offensively making 2023 an important season in his development.
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