Wyatt

Langford

Langford reached on a single off of J.T. Ginn in the opening inning, but was cut down attempting to stretch it into a double. He then capped off the Rangers’ six-run uprising in the second inning with a 424-foot (111.7 mph EV) three-run blast off of Ryan Magdic. The 24-year-old outfielder has been sizzling at the plate this spring, hitting .455 (10-for-22) with three homers, 10 RBI and a 3/2 K/BB ratio in 24 plate appearances.

The dynamic 24-year-old outfielder got the scoring started in the slugfest with an RBI single off of Cole Ragans in the top half of the first inning. Langford then tagged Ragans for a 436-foot (106.2 mph EV) two-run shot in the second that pulled the Rangers to within a run at 7-6. He also drew a walk in the third inning before being lifted for a pinch runner. For the spring, Langford is slashing a healthy .500/.583/1.100 with a pair of homers, seven RBI and a 0/2 K/BB ratio in his first 12 plate appearances.

Langford connected on a 95.8 mph heater from Guardians starter Slade Cecconi, tattooing a majestic 421-foot moonshot to right-center field for his first round-tripper of the spring. The 24-year-old fantasy standout possesses the power/speed combination to deliver first-round caliber value, but injuries have limited him to just 134 contests each of the past two seasons. It’s challenging to forecast a full season given his recent history, but he could easily record a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign with a clean bill of health.

Langford smacked a run-scoring single in his first at-bat of the content before adding another single a couple frames later. The 24-year-old outfielder offers realistic 25-homer, 20-steal production and will be a third or fourth-round pick in fantasy drafts this spring.

There’s little doubt the Rangers will go with an outfield of Langford, Brandon Nimmo and Evan Carter against righties (with Carter perhaps sitting against lefties), but the alignment is in question, what with both Langford and Nimmo being best suited for left. The Rangers might feel that Langford in center and Carter in right would be their best alignment, even though Carter would seem to be the stronger center fielder of the two.

Langford’s season is officially over following an early exit from Tuesday’s game against the Twins with left side tightness. The 23-year-old power/speed combo outfielder battled oblique issues throughout the season, which ended up requiring three separate trips to the injured list. He wraps up his first 20-homer, 20-steal campaign with a solid .241/.344/.431 triple-slash line with 73 runs scored, 22 homers, 62 RBI and 22 stolen bases across 134 games. He’ll be an early-round selection in fantasy drafts next spring.

Langford has been battling a lingering side issue recently so it’s not a complete surprise that the issue cropped up again. The 23-year-old franchise building block was 0-for-2 before exiting the contest in the fifth inning. He’ll presumably undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue. It wouldn’t be surprising if he were shut down for the final few games with the Rangers no longer truly in playoff contention.

Langford’s home run was his 22nd of the year, as was his stolen base. The 23-year-old outfielder hit a solo shot off Lake Bachar in the sixth inning. Langford looked healthy after missing two games with a side issue. Seemingly the only thing preventing him from future stardom are the nagging injuries.

It’s an extremely encouraging development for fantasy managers heading into the final week of the regular season to see Langford back following a two-game absence due to left side tightness. The 23-year-old power/speed combo outfielder’s status should continue to be closely monitored since side issues can be tricky and recurring matters, but it sounds like he’ll manage to avoid a trip to the injured list.

With their playoff hopes evaporating almost completely earlier this week, the Rangers aren’t going to take any chances with one of the key components of their young nucleus. The 23-year-old fantasy standout was held out of Friday’s lineup with left side tightness and has required two separate trips to the injured list this season due to oblique issues. There should be some additional clarity on his status before the weekend wraps up.