Texas Rangers Rookie Wyatt Langford Makes Franchise History in Walk-Off Win Over New York Yankees

Wyatt Langford is the first rookie in the history of the Texas Rangers franchise to deliver a walk-off grand slam.

Sep 3, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Wyatt Langford (36) arrives home to teammates on his grand slam walk-off against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images / Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Wyatt Langford is not going to win American League Rookie of the Year but he did something Tuesday night no rookie has ever done in franchise history.

In the 7-4 victory over the mighty New York Yankees, Langford hit the first walk-off grand slam by a rookie ever for the Texas Rangers. No rook eve did it for the Washington Senators, where the franchise moved to Arlington from.

It was just the eighth walk-off grand slam in franchise history and the first since Marlon Byrd did so on Aug. 4, 2008 against the Yankees. Langford is just the 24th Major League rookie since at least 1944 to hit a walk-off grand slam, according to STATS LLC.

And he did it with two outs and two strikes against New York reliever Clay Holmes. Talk about living out a childhood dream.

"Everybody likes those moments,” Langford said, according to MLB.com. “I think you like them even more if you’re able to come through. It’s really cool to be able to do that. … It’s awesome. No better feeling."

JOSH JUNG #WALKOFF HOMER 💥 pic.twitter.com/1MLG9h1QUM

— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2024

At 22 years and 293 days old, Langford is the seventh-youngest player in MLB history to hit a walk-off slam and the youngest AL player to ever do so. His game-ending blast was also just the 14th walk-off homer ever by a Texas rookie, with Mark Mathias doing it last on Sept. 13, 20222 against the Oakland Athletics.

Langford has recorded a team-high three walk-off hits this season, becoming the first Rangers hitter with as many as three walk-off hits in a single campaign since Josh Hamilton also had three in 2011.

Texas has a MLB high-tying nine walk-off victories this season, with the last three overall wins coming in walk-off fashion.

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