AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 19, 2023

Josh Jung

Globe Life Field

Texas Rangers

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. You guys are playing with the roof open tonight. Is there any difference for you, any more comfortability?

JOSH JUNG: We haven't had the roof open in a while because it's so hot here in Texas. It should be fun. You can look up and see the sky instead of the roof; that's really the only difference.

Q. How would you assess your postseason performance?

JOSH JUNG: It's been all over the place. I've had some good games. I've had some games where I didn't touch a baseball. Defensively I've made some plays. I've had some plays I wish I could have back.

I'd say it's been fun. These environments have been crazy. The way we've been playing, too, has been awesome. Just trying to keep it going.

Q. This is your first playoffs, and you mentioned the crazy environment. How do you stay relaxed and calm in games like this?

JOSH JUNG: The big thing I keep trying to tell myself is leave the emotions for the fans. The ups and downs, let them scream, get quiet, whatever. Let them do all that. And for me just breathe and have fun. It's still a game. It's still the same game we've been playing all year. The only implication I guess is you lose, you go home.

Q. What's it like to see a bunch of you guys, like Jonah, Evan Carter, while you guys make the impact you are at this point in the playoffs?

JOSH JUNG: I had a lot of experience in college, not to the same scheme, I guess, with fans and stuff like that. I think we ran out 5,000 in Lubbock. Let alone in Baltimore, it was 46 plus.

For us making an impact early, I think it just shows kind of the poise that the veterans have instilled in us down the stretch. Even in those games in Seattle, I know we were tense and tight, but you didn't really see it in the locker room. We were still going about our business the same way.

I think that's kind of what leads to success in the postseason is like not making it more than it is, if that makes sense. And I think that's kind of the lesson we all learned in Seattle.

Q. What kind of role do Marcus and Corey play for you guys, the younger players?

JOSH JUNG: You've got two guys in the middle infield that have kind of done it all. Can't say thank you enough to those guys for just the role models they are, the people they are, the impact they've had on all of us.

And through their words, through their actions, through their routines, how consistent they are with the person they are on the field, off the field has kind of taught everybody in the locker room, let alone just us, how to go about playing 162 and then so far into the postseason.

Q. You mentioned the games in Seattle and the difference or what you guys learned from that. If you could, maybe expand on that just a little bit. Was there a difference in the way you guys were thinking about those games versus how you're approaching things right now? I presume that to be the case.

JOSH JUNG: Yeah, I mean, in Seattle we knew what was on the line, or at least going into Seattle we knew what was on the line, and I think that kind of, I don't know, made us press a little bit. That's kind of what it felt like from my point of view when we were there.

And I think that's the biggest lesson we learned coming out of there is like you don't play good when you put so much emphasis on one at-bat, let alone one game.

And we didn't perform there. Their pitching staff pitched really well. And you could tell we were pressing a little bit. When we got on that flight from Seattle to Tampa, we were all frustrated.

But I think that's what we all took from that, relax, just go and try to win this at-bat. Don't make it more than it is. Don't play hero ball. Just win pitch to pitch.

Q. Yesterday Corey said that he thought you were snubbed for a Gold Glove nomination. What have you done to ramp up your defense?

JOSH JUNG: Well, that's kind words from Corey. But, I mean, it's just going in the offseason, going into Spring Training, the emphasis was just to do everything I could to take basics away from the other team.

Still learning. It's still baseball. You're still trying to figure stuff out. Like the Maldonado's yesterday I wish I could have had. And then in hindsight, get down with it, get dirty.

But other than that, it's just learning how to play the game, just making sure that I'm on time with my steps. That was probably the biggest emphasis going into Spring Training was making sure no matter what I'm on time as that ball is crossing the hitting zone, kind of where you look with your gaze. Like for a third baseman, my gaze is out in front of the plate, because if they're going to hook it towards me, they're going to hit it out in front of the plate, not necessarily on the plate or behind.

But just those little things, those little details I've worked with Ragsdale on pretty much all year. And even like pregame in my work, it's a big emphasis. It's not like we're going out there and taking 50 ground balls, but it's like those 12 ground balls I take, that's the big emphasis on all of them.

Q. How was the atmosphere and the crowd last week against the Orioles and then last night?

JOSH JUNG: I mean, yeah, it's a crazy crowd. It's loud. And you love that, especially playing at home. The crowd can get you back into it, especially last night we got punched in the mouth. That's Houston's job is to come in here and try to quiet the crowd, and for us it's everything we can do to keep them loud.

I think playing in those environments, it's a lot of fun, especially when you are at home. We have had two home games postseason this far, but the crowd has been electric, and you can't wait to play in front of them.

Q. Deeper in the playoffs, a lot of unexpected things happen. Musicians attend games, former players. Anything happen so far that you thought that's pretty cool?

JOSH JUNG: Seeing how all the teams have brought back former players to throw out first pitches was pretty cool. Seeing Creed last night was pretty cool. The further you go you see some pretty cool things. You look up on the Jumbotron and see all that stuff, you're like, wow, it is really cool.

Being a baseball junkie, seeing all the former pitchers throw out first pitches, that's pretty cool.