OLD POST: What to Expect from Wyatt Langford in 2025

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After being drafted in the first round (fourth overall) in 2023 and tearing through the minor leagues, expectations for Langford’s rookie season were through the roof. He made the Rangers’ Opening Day Roster in 2024, but didn’t live up to the hype surrounding his name. While Langford’s 2024 season was widely seen as a disappointment, I see a bright future for the young slugger. 


Most rookies start out their careers slowly as they try to acclimate to the big leagues, and Langford was no exception. He played 27 games before he hit his first major league home run (an inside-the-parker) and had a .588 OPS before hitting the IL with a hamstring injury in late May. After his return, the 22-year old outfielder turned on the jets, batting .309 in June with 22 runs batted in. He was the AL Player of the Month in September/October, slashing .300/.386/.610 with eight home runs and 20 RBI’s in 26 games. Overall, Langford finished at .253/.325/.415 with 16 homers and 74 RBI’s, a more than respectable showing from a rookie and good for seventh in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting. 


Given his strong finish in 2024 and his broad skill set, Langford could be a superstar in the making. He has a keen batting eye and prodigious power, even if it has not been on full display in the majors yet. Langford is a strong defender in both left and center field, combining for 14 defensive runs saved above average, and has the potential to become a terror on the basepaths, ranking in the 98th percentile for sprint speed according to Baseball Savant. 


Langford recently suffered a mild oblique strain, temporarily halting his spring training, but manager Bruce Bochy assured that it would not affect his availability for Opening Day. After a year of experience facing big league pitching and with more protection in a vastly improved batting lineup, one can only look forward to Langford’s 2025 season with high hopes as Texas tries to reverse its fortunes from last year. 

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