Texas Rangers Prospect Wyatt Langford Looks Ready for Major Leagues
The Texas Rangers are in position not to rush prospects to the Major Leagues. The World Series champions have the luxury of a deep roster with returning starters at just about every position.
But what if someone in the minor leagues is ready for the bigs now? Well, the Rangers will likely find a spot.
That’s where Texas could be with Wyatt Langford, who tore through the farm system after being the fourth pick in last summer’s MLB Draft.
MLB.com compiled a list of player projections in 2024 that will blow minds, with Langford making the list of five hitters. For sake of comparison, the others mentioned are Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jung Hoo Lee.
Impressive company.
Langford is projected out with the following numbers: 121 wRC+, 16 home runs and 10 steaks in 97 games. The MLB.com rationale:
The best rookie hitter in the 2024 projections isn’t Lee (116 wRC+), or Jackson Holliday (108) or Evan Carter (108). It’s a different Ranger, who was drafted just last year and hasn’t yet made his MLB debut. Langford, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 Draft out of the University of Florida, has been invited to Spring Training and has a real chance to make the Rangers’ Opening Day roster. There’s a lot of hype around the slugging outfielder, who’s ranked MLB’s No. 13 overall prospect, and the projections see Langford as an impact player immediately at the big league level. After what Carter did in the postseason for the World Series champs, it’s scary that Texas has another rising star in the pipeline who could be just as good.
The options for Langford include part of the outfield rotation along with Carter, Adolis García and Leody Taveras, as well as at designated hitter. The Florida product might not be up by Opening Day, but it feels like only a matter of time of time before Langford gets his shot.
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