Rangers Young Star Outfielder Already Setting Himself Up for Sizable Payday

A young Texas Rangers outfielder is living up to expectations at the start of his career.

Apr 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) hits a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers aren’t producing like it yet, but they have arguably the deepest and most talented lineup in baseball.

There are established stars anchoring the group such as second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager and right fielder Adolis Garcia. Younger players, like third baseman Josh Jung and catcher Jonah Heim, have already been named All-Stars early in their respective careers.

Navigating a lineup that also includes impressive power threats such as first baseman Jake Burger and designated hitter Joc Pederson, both acquired this offseason, is incredibly difficult for opposing pitchers.

But, the player with arguably the highest ceiling on the team is left fielder Wyatt Langford.

A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft at No. 4 overall, he wasted no time making an impression with the franchise.

After playing in 47 minor league games following his selection, Langford was in the Opening Day lineup in 2024 and hasn’t looked back since.

He is a key part of the team’s gameplan now and in the future.

As a rookie, he had a .253/.325/.415 slash line with an OPS+ of 111, impressive stats when taking into consideration that he missed time early on with an injury and didn’t have his first home run until April 28.

He finished the year with 16 home runs, 25 doubles and four triples, showcasing his immense talent. 19 stolen bases were added and he had a walk rate of 9.2%, which was above the league average of 8.3%.

His strike zone recognition has only improved in Year 2, recording a strikeout rate of 16.7% and walk rate of 10.4% through his first 48 plate appearances before landing on the injured list.

The oblique strain is the only thing that has kept him from truly breaking out, as he already had an OPS+ of 158 in the early going, blasting four home runs with one double and two stolen bases.

That production will be missed from the lineup, and it should be no surprise that he was selected by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report as the Rangers' best player making less than $1 million this season.

However, it is fair to wonder how much longer he will be earning under $1 million, as Langford is a prime candidate to receive a contract extension in the near future.

It would make a lot of sense for Texas to lock him into a long-term deal now, attempting to buy out some of his arbitration years since he is producing at a much higher level than normally seen from players less than two years after they were drafted.

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