Emerging Talent: Wyatt Langford
The defending champions, the Rangers, are witnessing the remarkable performance of their 22-year-old outfielder, Wyatt Langford, during spring training. Despite uncertainty about his MLB debut at the season’s start, Langford continues to impress with his bat, hitting his fifth home run of spring training today, tying for the home run leader and delivering a grand slam.
Ascending Star
Langford, selected by the Rangers with the fourth overall pick just last year, has already made his mark, ranking sixth in MLB’s Top 100 Prospects list for 2022. His mature batting skills were evident in his debut season across four minor league levels (Rookie, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A), where he played 44 games, hitting 10 home runs with a batting average of .360, striking out only 34 times while drawing 36 walks.
Impressive Spring Performance
Despite a slow start with just one hit and five strikeouts in his first four games of spring training, Langford quickly bounced back. In the fifth game, he hit his first spring training home run, and his hitting spree continued. With a total of 12 hits, 5 home runs, and 14 RBIs in nine games in March alone, Langford is making a strong case for his MLB debut.
Potential Record-Breaker
Even if Langford doesn’t start the season in the MLB lineup, he’s expected to get significant playing time. Additionally, the team boasts another promising outfielder, Carter, ranked fifth in MLB’s Top 100 Prospects list for 2022. Carter is likely to secure the starting left fielder position for the season, having already made a notable impact in both regular and postseason games last season despite being ten months younger than Langford.
Historical Context
MLB.com notes that only 42 teams have given two players aged 22 or younger more than 350 plate appearances in a single season, let alone a defending champion. The Diamondbacks and Tigers achieved this feat in 2022 with Thomas, Perdomo, Torkelson, and Greene. However, the last time this occurred was in 2011 with the Royals’ Hosmer and Moustakas.
Optimistic Predictions
According to Fangraphs, both Carter and Langford are projected to receive 575 and 588 plate appearances, respectively, this season. If both players indeed surpass 350 plate appearances, they will be the first team since the Marlins in 1998 to achieve this feat in the year following a championship win, with Kotsay and Lee.
Expectations and Legacy
Both Kotsay and Lee had impressive careers, with Kotsay playing 17 seasons and Lee making two All-Star appearances over his 15-season career. Similarly, the Rangers are hopeful that Langford and Carter will leave a lasting impact on the team, continuing the tradition of exceptional young talent shaping the future of the franchise.(Lvbet)
