Stefan Stevenson/Inside the Rangers
Welcome, Wyatt! Texas Rangers Introduce Top Draft Pick
ARLINGTON, Texas – Wyatt Langford is officially in the fold.
The Texas Rangers' top draft pick was introduced at a press conference Tuesday at Globe Life Field.
Langford, the MLB draft's fourth overall pick on July 9, signed for $8 million.
The slotted value for the No. 4 pick was $7,698,000. The $8 million signing bonus is tied for the fifth-highest in draft history.
"It's hard to beat a place like this, here in Texas," Langford said. "Compared to some other places, this is one place I would have really liked to end up, and that's how it played out. And I'm excited to be here."
Langford, who turns 22 in November, batted .373 with 21 home runs, 28 doubles, 57 RBI, and 83 runs scored in 64 games as a junior for the Florida Gators in 2023.
"Pretty much an easy choice for us this year, when Wyatt got [to the No. 4 spot]," Rangers senior director of amateur scouting Kip Fagg said. "I want to talk about the person, and that's what separated Wyatt from a lot of the guys in the upper part of the group [of prospects]. The story he came from, the hard work, the dedication, it's what we're all about here with the Texas Rangers and he fits very well with winning championships here and Wyatt is going to be a big part of that."
He was rated the 144th-best prospect by Perfect Game out of Trenton High School (31 miles west of Gainesville, Fla.) in 2020.
The Rangers' 17 other draft picks have yet to agree to terms.
MLB clubs have until 4 p.m. July 25, to come to terms with drafted players. If a player has exhausted his collegiate eligibility, he can sign at any time up until one week before next year’s draft, per MLB rules.
Langford was a catcher before moving to the outfield in college. Scouts tout his speed as a potential center fielder in the majors. He stole nine bases in 10 attempts in 2023.
Baseball America has already rated Langford as the No. 11 prospect in the game, one spot ahead of the Rangers' outfielder Evan Carter, who turns 21 on Aug. 29. Carter was the 50th overall pick by the Rangers in the 2020 MLB draft out of high school.
"We think he's the perfect fit for what we're building here," Rangers general manager Chris Young said. "Who he is as a person, his winning pedigree, and certainly his talent as a player."
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