Texas Rangers Prospect Wyatt Langford Ready to be MLB Stats Leader
The rookie that everyone expects to make a major splash for the Texas Rangers this season is already well known to baseball fans. Evan Carter burst onto the scene as an injury replacement in September and played a key role in the franchise’s first World Series championship.
Yes, Carter is getting early Rookie of the Year buzz. He’s the probable starting left fielder and could be moving to the spot high in the lineup.
But there’s another Rangers prospect behind Carter who could crash the party in a big way. As in a lead-the-majors kind of way.
Last year’s first-round pick Wyatt Langford tore through the minor leagues before finishing the season at Triple-A Round Rock. He’s got an invite to big league camp once spring training starts, and has a serious shot of making the Opening Day roster.
But the grand expectations don’t end there. A MLB.com rundown of potential statistical leaders for the 2024 had some names you’d expect, such as the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. (home runs) and Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (RBI).
And then there’s Langford, who got the nod as this season’s doubles leader (41) despite having yet to step foot on a big league field. Per MLB.com:
Langford? Langford! There’s been a lot of discourse regarding the potential for 2023 No. 1 overall Draft selection Paul Skenes to take the mound for the Pirates just a year or so after being drafted. But Langford, who was selected three picks behind him last June, could very well find himself on the Opening Day roster for the defending World Series champs if he has a strong spring. Could he really lead MLB in a major offensive category like doubles? Considering he had 17 in just 44 games over four levels in the Rangers’ farm system last year – culminating in a successful, albeit brief, stint at Triple-A Round Rock – that remarkable feat doesn’t seem out of reach for the 22-year-old.
He's got to make the club first, but if this is any indication of what the Rangers can expect, the summer in Arlington could be special once again.
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