Surveyed MLB Execs Expect Texas Rangers Rising Stars To Contend For Rookie of the Year
A couple of Texas Rangers rising young stars could be in a race for Rookie of the Year honors, according to a survey of baseball executives.
Rangers left-fielder Evan Carter is predicted to win the American League Rookie of the Year in 2024, according to a poll of execs by MLB.com.
Rangers 2023 first-round pick Wyatt Langford, who blasted through the club's farm system last summer, also received nods. He finished third in the survey and is one of only four players with multiple votes.
Carter, who was called up for the final three weeks of the regular season, received 36% of the votes. Orioles middle infielder and No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday finished second with 30% of the vote. Holliday has yet to make his MLB debut after being the No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
The survey included general managers, scouts, player development staff, and members of analytics departments from each of the 30 clubs.
Carter, 21, is an obvious choice after he helped lead the Rangers to their first World Series title. He batted .306 with four doubles, five home runs, and 12 RBI in 23 regular season games before batting .300 with nine doubles, a homer, and six RBI in 17 postseason games.
Holliday, who turned 20 in December, is rated as the No. 1 prospect by MLB.com.
In 125 minor league games, including 18 in Triple-A, Holliday had a combined line of .332/.442/.499 in 2023.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2023. If the Orioles can find an everyday position for Holliday, he's likely to earn an early call-up.
In 44 minor league games, including 12 games with Double-A Frisco and five games with Triple-A Round Rock, Langford batted .360 with 17 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, and 30 RBI. His combined OPS in his first season of pro baseball was 1.157. Langford, 22, was the No. 4 overall pick after an All-American career at Florida.
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