Why Budding Rangers Superstar Could Join AL MVP Race, per MLB Insider

The Texas Rangers hope that left fielder Wyatt Langford takes a big step forward and at least one national MLB writer believes he will.

A hat and glove of a Texas Rangers player. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Wyatt Langford enters his third season with the Texas Rangers at a point in his career where his numbers and his status in the game could take a big jump.

He was the Rangers’ first round pick in 2023, and he cruised through the minor league system, to the point where there was buzz that he might get called up during the World Series due to injuries in the outfield.

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He made his Major League debut in 2024 and in two seasons he's already been an American League Gold Glove finalist in left field, and he's emerged as one of Texas’ top power hitters.

Now, it’s quite possible he could be an even bigger deal in 2026.

Wyatt Langford’s Potential for 2026 Greatness

Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently released his season preview for the season and he noted that he wouldn’t be surprised if Langford, who has never been an All-Star, finishes in the Top 5 of AL MVP voting after this season.

“Yes, the 24-year-old is that good, and he's showing it in spring training, where he has been one of the best hitters in the Cactus League. Spring stats are as reliable as airplane Wi-Fi, sure, but Langford emerging as a star is based on far more than a few at-bats against mediocre pitching staffs. It's the tools. It's the talent. It's time,” Passan wrote.

In 10 spring training games Langford has slashed .417/.481/.875 with three home runs and 10 RBI. If those numbers hold it will be his second spring training with a batting average of at least .400. in his 2024 spring training he hit 10 home runs.

The Rangers have high aspirations for Langford, too. President of baseball operations Chris Young has made no secret that he would like to lock Langford up into a long-term extension as he enters his final pre-arbitration season. There's been little movement on that front, but a successful 2026 only bolsters Langford’s case for a long-term deal.

Langford sees the chance for improvement, too. In two seasons with Texas, he’s slashed .247/.335/.423 with 38 home runs and 136 RBI. When he spoke to reporters earlier in spring training, he sounded just a bit frustrated, even after he was named the Rangers’ MVP for 2025 with a .241 batting average, 22 home runs and 62 RBI.

“I feel like I'm better than a .240 hitter or whatever I hit last year,” he said.

Some MLB analysts have written about Langford's potential to be a 30-30 player. He's already a 20-20 player based on his performance last season. But for him to level up in 2026 he believes he needs to cut down on strikeouts. He had 151 strikeouts last season, up from 115 in his rookie season.

The Rangers open the regular season on March 26 in Philadelphia. Langford is expected to be the opening-day left fielder.