The Texas Rangers are early favorites to reach the World Series again in 2024 and their chances could be boosted by the fact that they may have the next Mike Trout on their roster.
The 2023 MLB season was a magical ride for the Rangers organization. Despite major setbacks as they lost big-ticket free agent signing Jacob DeGrom to a season-long injury and Max Scherzer was only able to perform on a limited basis after a blockbuster summer trade, the organization persevered and won their first World Series title.
- Wyatt Langford stats (2023): .360 AVG, .480 OBP, 1.157 OPS, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 36 R, 12 SB
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Now, the team is just days away from defending their first championship and is expected to be a powerhouse in the American League once again. While they didn’t make huge additions in the offseason, signings like reliever David Robertson, and veteran pitcher Michael Lorenzen should make an impact in 2024.
However, their biggest addition to the roster this season may come from within the organization.
Wyatt Langford news: Texas Rangers prospect early favorite to be 2024 AL Rookie of the Year
There has been a lot of building hype around outfield prospect Wyatt Langford. The player the organization took with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft destroyed college pitching during his stint at Florida and continued that level of play over four different levels of the Texas Rangers farm system last year, including Triple-A.
The youngster has looked strong in 2024 Spring Training, and all signs point to him being a likely call-up early in the season, with an outside chance of being on the Opening Day roster. On Thursday, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman added a new layer to the hype when he revealed, “One scout compared Rangers phenom Wyatt Langford to Mike Trout.”
- Wyatt Langford opening day news: Langford is expected to be called up early in 2024 season
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But that is now where the talk about the 22-year-old ends. Earlier this week, The Athletic MLB insider, and former league executive, Jim Bowden glowed about his potential and claimed he is his early pick to win the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award.
“Langford is my preseason prediction for American League Rookie of the Year over his teammate Evan Carter and the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday,” Bowden wrote. “After being drafted fourth overall last year, Langford slashed .360/.480/.677 across four minor-league levels with 10 home runs in 161 at-bats and 12 steals in 15 attempts. He also hit .373 with 21 home runs as a junior at Florida before being drafted.
“This spring in big-league camp, he’s slashed .378/.442/.756 with five home runs and 17 RBIs. He can hit for average and reach base at a high clip and he possesses 30-home run power. How good is he right now? A key member of the Texas staff called Langford the best player on the team not named Corey Seager.”
The Texas Rangers already had a strong team, but if Langford can live up to the hype they may end up getting one or two more World Series wins before the decade comes to a close.