American League Rookie Roundup: Wyatt Langford Caps Off a June to Remember

The Rangers’ rookie outfielder had himself a banner performance on Sunday Night Baseball to put a bow on a scalding hot month of June. Plus, an AL Rookie of the Year race check-in.

Langford is making a name for himself this season. / Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the Rookie Roundup, a weekly look-in on baseball’s best and most interesting first-year players. Last week, we highlighted five National League hitters who are getting hot at the dish. Up next, it’s time to celebrate a banner month for Texas Ranger rookie Wyatt Langford, and update our American League Rookie of the Year leaderboard.

One year and five days ago, Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford was representing the Florida Gators in the College World Series. Now, he’s making history on Sunday Night Baseball for the defending world champions.

Langford, who 359 days ago was selected with the No. 4 pick in the MLB draft, became the first player ever to hit for the cycle during ESPN’s signature baseball broadcast in last night’s 11–2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. That made Langford the first rookie ever to have an inside-the-park home run, a grand slam and hit for the cycle in the same season. He’s also just the sixth player since 2000 to hit for the cycle before turning 23.

The performance capped off a stellar month for the 22-year-old, who appears to be rounding into form and living up to the hype that preceded his arrival to The Show.

Wyatt Langford hits for the cycle on #SundayNightBaseball! pic.twitter.com/Teb8RGzobB

— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2024

After a star-making college career that saw him hit .373 with 21 home runs in 64 games his junior year, Langford was firmly in the mix for the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, ultimately falling to Texas at No. 4. He hit .360 in 44 minor league games following the draft, and earned a spot on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster in March.

Langford got off to a slow start out of the gates, slashing .224/.295/.293 through his first 31 games before landing on the injured list with a strained hamstring. That cost him three weeks’ worth of games, and perhaps provided him with a much-needed reset opportunity to catch his breath following a whirlwind path to the major leagues.

Since being activated from the IL, Langford has hit .299/.353/.495 in 29 games, leading all AL rookies with 24 RBIs during that span. He’s struck out just 18 times in 116 plate appearances (15.5%) in this stretch, and is 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts, flashing the all-around game that made him one of baseball’s top prospects coming into the season.

The Rangers face myriad problems in their title defense. Injuries have severely hampered some of the team’s most important players, and Sunday’s win over Baltimore snapped a season-worst six-game losing streak. Fellow rookie outfielder Evan Carter, who had a .917 OPS during the team’s postseason run last October, has scuffled through some growing pains and is currently on the IL with a lower back injury. Entering play on Monday, Texas sat in third place in the AL West, eight games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners.

Langford’s hot streak might not be enough to kickstart a second-half surge up the standings. But it’s a good place to start, and an encouraging sign that one of the game’s brightest young stars is living up to his high pedigree.

Rookie of the Year Race

The last time we checked in on the AL Rookie of the Year Award race was nearly two months ago. So, once more before the All-Star break, here is where the top five contenders stand.

1. Luis Gil, SP, New York Yankees

Despite allowing 12 runs across 5 2/3 innings over his last two starts, Gil has surged to the top of the leaderboard on the strength of his preceding two months. From April 21 to June 9, the 26-year-old went 9–0 with a 1.64 ERA. He allowed one earned run or fewer in nine of his 11 starts during that stretch, striking out 76 batters while limiting them to a .144 batting average. Gil’s command still wanes at times, and there’s concern about fatigue given the fact that he missed all of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. But his body of work to date earns him pole position for now.

Miller celebrates after defeating the Colorado Rockies at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

2. Mason Miller, RP, Oakland A’s

A 15-game streak of scoreless appearances from April 2 to May 21 saw Miller strike out 40 out of 66 batters faced—good for a -0.36 FIP. Giving up five earned runs in his next five outings made him appear mortal, but he has since reverted back to his usual ways, with 12 strikeouts and one run allowed in his last nine games. On the season, opposing hitters have managed a .132/.213/.231 slash line against him. At this point, it seems the only thing that could knock Miller out of the AL ROY race is a trade to a National League team.

3. Wilyer Abreu, OF, Boston Red Sox

Abreu seems to have recovered following a mid-May lull that saw him hit .170 with 16 strikeouts in 54 plate appearances from May 1 to May 18. Since then, he’s batting .294/.324/.500 in his last 20 games, though the strikeouts remain a bit of an issue. His so-so plate discipline makes him prone to starts and stops, but Abreu has nearly-elite bat speed and walks frequently enough to raise his offensive floor. Add in his excellent defense in right field, and you have an all-around player who should reach double digits in home runs and stolen bases.

4. Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles

That Cowser remains on this list after topping it in early May is a testament to just how good he was through the season’s first month. Since May 1, the former first-round pick is hitting .185/.279/.350 in 179 plate appearances with 49 strikeouts. The contact quality remains elite, with Cowser boasting a 49.4% hard-hit rate and 15.8% barrel rate, per Statcast. Even with such poor results, Statcast has his expected wOBA over his last 200 plate appearances at .336, well above league average of .310. It’s been a tough stretch, but expect the production to pick up soon for the 24-year-old.

5. David Hamilton, SS, Boston Red Sox

Hamilton has been something of a savior for a Red Sox team that remains in the thick of the AL wild-card race. His emergence as a viable everyday shortstop has covered the team in the wake of Trevor Story’s season-ending shoulder injury, and enabled Ceddanne Rafaela to stick in center field. Since the start of May, Hamilton has a .789 OPS and is 19-for-20 in stolen base attempts. He’s cooled off a bit at the dish lately, but his defense and speed make him a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Red Sox, who have won 11 of their last 16 games.