Rising Stars Or Not? ESPN Assesses Two Texas Rangers Young Sluggers After Mixed 2024

Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter didn't have the rookie seasons most Texas Rangers fans envisioned, but ESPN still sees a promising future for both.

Sep 7, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Wyatt Langford (36) follows through on a RBI double against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images / Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2024 MLB season, there were expectations for Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford to be the missing links to a start of a new era in Arlington.

Carter, who joined the Texas Rangers late last fall, became a hero in the postseason and an offensive sparkplug on an eventual World Series roster. Langford, a 2023 first-round pick out of Florida, couldn't stop hitting in the minors on his way to stops between Single, Double, and Triple-A ball.

Neither has had the season most expected. Carter continues to deal with a lingering back injury that's kept him sidelined since late May. Langford has also seen his fair share of rookie highs and lows.

Does that change their upside compared to other rookies entering next season? According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniell's latest rookie rankings, not so much.

While neither player was listed in the "franchise cornerstone" list, Langford was pegged as the No. 5 rookie and landed in the "emerging stars" category. Overall, everything for Langford is about consistency and finding a rhythm at the plate.

Langford has been hot and cold at the plate as a rookie, running hot for the last 30 games or so, while contributing in all phases.

- ESPN's Kiley McDaniel

Carter, a former top-five prospect for MLB Pipeline, wasn't awarded the title of emerging star. However, he still landed in the "solid contributors" category alongside Baltimore's Colton Cowser, Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Oakland's Lawrence Butler.

Carter sat out much of 2024 because of a back injury after his strong debut and playoff run in 2023; I'm still seeing a strong regular here.

- ESPN's Kiley McDaniel

Young players can adjust to the transition from the minors once their at-bats expand. For Carter, who was slashing .188/.272/.361in 45 games, the injury probably affected his trajectory more than anything.

One night after a game-winning grand slam, Wyatt Langford had a different kind of walk-off for the @Rangers. pic.twitter.com/xI2ab5m5Oc

— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2024

Langford's inexperience in pro ball probably factored into his lulls in 2024, but the last 30 games have been promising. Entering Tuesday's matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he's posting a .250/.328/.407 slash line with four home runs and 19 RBI over the past month.