Will Texas Rangers Top Prospect Wyatt Langford Follow Evan Carter, Josh Jung Path?

Depending on the Texas Rangers' moves during the offseason, top prospect Wyatt Langford could find himself competing for a big league spot this spring.

NASHVILLE — The success of Josh Jung and Evan Carter, fresh from the Texas Rangers farm system, in 2023, has many giddy about the rocket-speed trajectory of top prospect Wyatt Langford.

Could he join the big league club in 2024? The fourth overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft shot through the Rangers minor league system and put up gaudy numbers in 44 games, including the last five with Triple-A Round Rock.

The Rangers have three very good outfielders likely to assume their roles in 2024 with Carter in left, Leody Taveras in center and Adolis Garcia in right.

Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford could find himself in the big league in 2024 / Ashley Salinas|Hickory Crawdads

"There’s a lot that needs to materialize between now and then," Rangers general manager Chris Young said during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. "I don’t know how the rest of the offseason will go if there are trades."

Langford, 22, hit .360 with 10 home runs, 17 doubles and 30 RBI last summer, most of which was played at High-A Hickory. But he excelled at Double-A Frisco, hitting .405 with four homers in 12 games before his promotion to Round Rock in September.

The logjam is obviously a good problem to have, and gives the Rangers potential trade pieces to land a starting pitcher or reliever during the offseason.

Langford would only be a big-league option if it were to play every day, Young said.

"The biggest thing is a true path, an opening, to playing," he said. "We are putting the best team on the field to go win major league baseball games. And if that’s Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, or whomever else who isn’t in the organization yet, that’s our job to put the best team out on the field."

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