Texas Rangers fans have been patiently waiting to witness the prodigious power of Wyatt Langford at the major league level. Those fans finally get their opportunity on Sunday, but perhaps not in the way they, nor Langford were expecting.
Facing off against the Cincinnati Reds, Langford hit a two-run inside the park home run. It was the first long ball of Langford's career and gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead. The outfielder's ball hit off an awkward part of the right centerfield wall, giving him an opportunity to round all of the bases. Globe Life Field was rocking as Langford crossed home plate.
Over his 44 games at the minor league level, Langford hit 10 home runs to go along with a 30 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He hit 47 home runs at the college level with Florida before being drafted. And still, through his first 26 games of major league action, Langford had yet to put one over the fence.
That fact remains true, even though Langford officially has his first home run. He'll certainly take it, especially since it gave the Rangers an early lead. As he continues through his rookie season, Langford will be looking to find his power stroke and proving why he is ready for MLB.
Wyatt Langford's rise to Rangers
Texas used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Langford. In his first year of professional baseball, he advanced from rookie ball all the way to Triple-A. At all four levels, Langford never had a batting average lower than .333.
Rather than give him even more seasoning in the minors, the Rangers were more than impressed with Langford to keep him on the Opening Day roster. His .365 batting average with six home runs and 20 RBI during spring training gave Texas all the evidence they needed.
Now a staple of the MLB lineup, Langford hasn't necessarily found his footing yet. Going into Sunday's contest, he had hit .245 with nine RBI and a stolen bases. He struck out 11 times compared to just one walk. While he had three doubles, his slugging percentage has dropped down to .296.
But perhaps his inside-the-park home run will be the spark Wyatt Langford needs to find his MLB swing. Even with his slow start, the outfielder is someone the Rangers are relying on long-term. He still ranks as the No. 1 prospect in Texas' organization and the fifth-best in all of baseball, via MLB Pipeline. Now that he is in the majors, the Rangers are hoping he doesn't leave anytime soon.
As fans and pundits look back at Langford's rookie season and overall career, his first home run will always be memorable. The Rangers are coming off of the most memorable season in franchise history, winning the World Series. While it won't come with an inside-the-park home run every night, the Rangers and their fans are eager to see Langford continue driving in runs and helping lead the next playoff chase.
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