This weekend, all eyes were on the matchup between Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung and his younger brother, Detroit Tigers third baseman Jace Jung. The excitement reached a new level on Sunday, as the day was dedicated to their mom, Mary, in honor of Mother’s Day.
Mary and her husband Jeff Jung had been in Detroit since Friday, watching their sons play in a three-game series between the Rangers and Tigers. As the weekend wrapped up, the family shared a special moment before Sunday’s game.
Before the first pitch, Josh and Jace gathered with their parents near the Rangers’ dugout on the first-base side. The brothers presented Mary with a pink baseball bat, decorated with both teams’ logos, the game’s date, and her name engraved on the barrel. The thoughtful gesture was a nod to the occasion.
Mary also received a custom jersey, split down the middle — one side in Rangers blue and the other in Tigers white, adorned with the iconic gothic ‘D.’ The back of the jersey displayed both of her sons’ numbers along with their last name. She had worn a variation of the jersey throughout the weekend, as the Rangers had sported their traditional gray uniforms on Friday and Saturday.
The Tigers then invited Mary to deliver the game ball to the pitcher’s mound, where she was joined by Josh and Jace for a memorable photo session.
Both brothers were in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game, marking a historic moment. They became the eighth set of brothers to face off on Mother’s Day since 1969. The most recent duo to do so was Yuli Gurriel of the Houston Astros and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. Other famous brother matchups include Joe and Phil Niekro, who pitched against each other on May 11, 1980.
In an interesting twist, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy recalled his own connection to the Niekros, as he was Houston’s backup catcher during that game.
“It’s a cool moment, especially for the mom,” Bochy said. “She gets to see both her sons out there. And having it happen on Mother’s Day makes it even more special.”
Josh and Jace’s rivalry was evident all weekend, as both players reflected on their competitive relationship. During Saturday’s 10-3 Rangers victory, the brothers even managed to play their own game of tic-tac-toe while stationed at third base.
The last time the brothers shared the field was in 2019 during a Texas Tech intrasquad scrimmage. Josh, selected No. 8 overall by the Rangers, and Jace, an incoming freshman, had not played together since their high school days at San Antonio MacArthur, where Josh was a senior and Jace was a freshman.
The Jung brothers are part of the 456 sets of siblings to have played in Major League Baseball.
“For us and for the family, this is incredibly special,” Josh said. “It’s truly remarkable and amazing to share this moment with Jace, and with Mom, on such a meaningful day.”
