Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and has a real shot to make the opening-day roster for the defending World Series champs. He illustrated his level of talent for the masses Friday and Saturday in spring training action, too.
Friday, Langford hit a two-run homer as part of a 2-for-3 day. Saturday, he went 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBI. Here’s the second homer Saturday, which was his third in two games:
A prodigious blast there for the rising star.
Generally speaking, we know that spring training games don’t count and it could be argued a lot of the action doesn’t matter. Langford, though, is trying to make enough of an impression on Rangers management to break camp with the team. The Rangers return their starting outfield from last season’s championship squad in left fielder Evan Carter, center fielder Leody Taveras and right fielder Adolis García, though there’s an opening at designated hitter with the departure of Mitch Garver (this was one of Mike Axisa’s top 10 position battles to watch in spring training).
Heading into this spring, CBS Sports prospect expert R.J. Anderson ranked Langford as baseball’s No. 4 prospect behind Jackson Holliday of the Orioles, Junior Caminero of the Rays and Langford’s teammate Carter, who still has rookie eligibility.
Langford was drafted fourth overall last year out of the University of Florida and has flown through the minors. He played in three games at Rookie Ball, 24 for High-A Hickory, 12 with Double-A Frisco and five with Triple-A Round Rock. In combining every stop, he hit .360/.480/.677 with 17 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 30 RBI, 36 runs and 12 steals in 44 games.
It was reported earlier this week that the Rangers are strongly considering breaking camp with Langford, despite only the 44 regular-season games of pro experience. His job in spring training is to make it impossible for the Rangers to leave without him. In these last two games, he’s done his part.
