Texas Rangers First-Round Pick Compared to Former MVP

Wyatt Langford, the Texas Rangers' first-round pick, was compared to a three-time MVP Mike Trout by an opposing SEC coach.

Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin knows Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford all too well. He and the Commodores met the Gators on several occasions in SEC play.

So few coaches are as equipped as Corbin to tell the Texas Rangers what kind of player they’re getting out of the No. 4 overall selection.

The Rangers took Langford, an outfielder, in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday. Corbin spoke to The Speakeasy on 97.1 FM in Dallas and made a comparison sure to perk up some ears.

The Vanderbilt coach said Wyatt Langford is the closest thing college baseball has seen to Mike Trout

— Kevin Turner (@ktfuntweets) July 9, 2023

That certainly is high praise, but some scouting services considered Langford the best player in the draft.

Trout, a three-time American League MVP and current All-Star, didn’t play college baseball. He was drafted in the first round out of high school in 2009 and went straight into the Los Angeles Angels organization. Langford, meanwhile, went undrafted as a senior in high school in 2020.

Now he’s a potential building block for the future for the Rangers.

The Rangers made Langford their highest-drafted position player since shortstop Jeff Kunkel in 1983. He has a reputation as a five-tool player that plays exceptional defense.

His work at the plate is worth noting, too. As a sophomore he batted .356/.447/.719 while matching the school record with 26 home runs.

As a junior, he batted .373/.498/.784 with 21 home runs and 56 extra-base hits.

While at the Men’s College World Series last month, he batted .375 with seven extra-base hits, three home runs and nine RBI, including a six-RBI outing in Game 2 of the College World Series final against LSU.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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