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It seems like just a couple months ago that Wyatt Langford, the power-hitting outfielder, was hitting the cover off the ball in Condron Ballpark, leading Florida just a bit short of its first college world series since 2017. Now, Langford can be found in Round Rock, Texas, where he most recently went 4-5 in his Triple-A debut, showing why he was drafted 4th overall by the Texas Rangers.
https://twitter.com/AramLeighton8/status/1704352673129169088
Langford’s Rise
The rise through the minors for Langford has been quick, and rightfully so.
Through 40 career games in the minors, Langford has hit .374 with 10 homeruns and 29 runs batted in. In just 12 games at the Double-A level, he had an OPS of 1.281. To compare, the average OPS for a player in double-A in 2021 was .731, a full .55 points lower.
The hot start to his career in the minors, as well as a strong Triple-A debut, has Rangers fans excited and ready to see their 1st-round pick at the major-league level. Going 4-5 in his triple-A debut alone was enough to get some Rangers fans daydreaming of what’s to come, but one hit in particular had some fans even more bullish. The 111.5 exit velocity recorded on Langford’s double in the 6th inning showed the power Langford possesses, tying the eight-highest exit velocity of Round Rock’s entire season in his first game.
Checking in on Wyatt Langford’s Triple-A debut and…
(This double is tied for the eighth-highest exit velocity of Round Rock’s entire season.) pic.twitter.com/KnXIzYmieC
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) September 20, 2023
This is not the first time Langford has shown his elite pop. In last years College World Series run, Langford broke the record for longest homerun the tournament has ever seen – not once, but twice – having recorded distances of 456 feet vs. Virginia and 449 feet vs. LSU. Both homeruns topped the 111 MPH mark, and the one against LSU was a whopping 114 MPH off the bat.
Wyatt Langford 114 mph off the bat 449 feet and 3 runs. This ball was demolished Gators lead 11-3!
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) June 25, 2023
Langford’s power will fit right in with the big league club, as the Rangers rank sixth in the MLB in Homeruns and eighth in home runs per at bat. His 456-foot homer against Virginia would be the second- longest homerun recorded for the Rangers this year, only behind Mitch Garver’s 457-foot bomb against the Chicago White Sox.
The path to the majors seems open for the former Gator, as Outfielder Robbie Grossman and Leody Taveras bot face expiring contracts. If Langford continues to be hot, Rangers and Gators fans both may seem him in the majors sooner then they once expected.
