Rising Rangers Star Using Unique Swing to Tap Into Power Potential

This young Texas Rangers slugger is finding ways to maximize his swing for as much power as possible.

May 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (36) hits an RBI single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

One of the most surprising developments in the MLB during the 2025 regular season has been the lack of offensive firepower from the Texas Rangers’ lineup.

A team that many thought had the best 1-through-9 in the sport coming into the campaign has fallen woefully short of expectations.

Long-time staples in the lineup, such as second baseman Marcus Semien and right fielder Adolis Garcia, haven’t been performing well. Their newest additions, first baseman Jake Burger and designated hitter Joc Pederson, haven’t infused the expected power into the mix.

While the team has underachieved as a whole, there are a few bright spots when it comes to the offense.

One of them is emerging star left fielder Wyatt Langford, who has taken his game to another level in Year 2 of his career.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft wasted no time working his way to the Big Leagues. Not even a year later, he was in the Opening Day lineup and hasn’t left it since.

Langford had a solid rookie campaign with a .253/.325/.415 slash line, hitting 16 home runs with 25 doubles and four triples across 557 plate appearnaces. His OPS+ of 112 was above the league average as well.

What Makes Wyatt Langford’s Swing So Unique?

This year, he has begun unlocking some of the immense power potential he possesses, already hitting nine home runs and seven doubles in only 170 plate appearances. That has led to an increase in his slugging percentage (.477) and OPS+ (130) in 2025.

Langford’s home run rate has also jumped from 2.9% as a rookie, which was right below the league average of 3.0%, to 5.3% this year.

What has attributed to the increase in power?

He has tailored his swing to launch fly balls with a massive attack angle of 17 degrees, according to data gathered by MLB.com. That is one of the highest in baseball, with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suarez having the most aggressive one at 20 degrees.

Interestingly enough, his fly ball rate of 30.4% isn’t much higher than the league average of 26.4% when taking into account the kind of swing path Langford has.

However, his pull air percentage, as shared by Baseball Savant, is above average again in 2025 at 18.8% despite that dropping from the 23.0% he had in as a rookie.

It is clear Langford has a game plan when going up to the plate, as he is looking to pull the ball and put it in the air; the fastest route to racking up home runs.