Texas Rangers Rising Star Could Power This Team Back Into Contention

The Texas Rangers will attempt to get back into contention after missing the playoffs in 2024, and one of their rising stars could be a huge part of accomplishing that.

Kyle Morton | Feb 7, 2025

Sep 3, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Wyatt Langford (36) rounds the bases on his grand slam walk-off against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images / Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

In this story:

Texas Rangers

The 2024 season was one of major disappointment for the Texas Rangers, who followed up their surprising World Series championship in 2023 by missing the playoffs altogether last year.

This was in large part due to massive regression at the plate, as the team put up an OPS of .686 in 2024 which put them 23rd in MLB behind teams like the Athletics, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants, all of which were expected to be basement dwellers on offense.

Couple those offensive woes with a team ERA that ranked 24th in the league, and it's no surprise that Bruce Bochy's club finished at 78-84.

Only four regular position-playing starters cracked the .700 mark in terms of OPS, and among those who didn't were key members of the lineup like Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien.

Corey Seager was his usual outstanding self, and Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith were strong in their roles, but the fourth player who performed well is the key to the Rangers unlocking a more successful version of themselves in 2025.

Wyatt Langford, the team's first-round, fourth overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, made his presence felt immediately in his rookie season when he finished seventh place in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

He could have finished higher, given the defensive ability he brought to the Rangers' outfield along with his speed on the base paths.

But it's the offensive upside Langford possesses that could really transform Texas' lineup.

Between Seager, Evan Carter and a hopefully resurgent Garcia, the Rangers already have a formidable top of the order, but Langford could take it to a whole other level.

In his first exposure to Major League pitching last season, Langford slashed .253/.325/.415 on his way to 16 homers and 74 RBI. That's remarkable given that when the campaign started, he was less than a calendar year removed from being drafted.

His brief stints in the minors shed some light on the excellence he's capable of with the bat, though.

In 47 career minor league games split between Rookie League, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, Langford posted an OPS of 1.118.

According to Fangraphs, he is projected by ZIPS to take a massive leap this year. The model has him at a wRC+ of 127 with an OPS of .802. Those seem like measured and realistic estimates of his progression, but players of his pedigree and skill level have made even bigger jumps in production before.

If Langford can beat those numbers, the Rangers will return to having one of the most fearsome lineups in the game, and in what looks to be a weak American League West, he could power them right back into the postseason.

Recommended Articles