Tag: Wyatt Langford

Wyatt Langford records first hit, RBI in MLB debut

Wyatt Langford recorded his first major-league hit and RBI on Thursday as he made his MLB debut for the Texas Rangers.

Former Florida outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] made his major-league debut on Thursday, batting fifth for the Texas Rangers as the designated hitter.

He went 1-for-3 in five plate appearances, driving in a run with a sacrifice fly and drawing an intentional walk. His first hit showed off his speed as he beat a throw from Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. Langford had a chance to walk it off in extra innings, but he grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded.

The Rangers still ended up winning and it’s clear that Langford is already one of the most respected young hitters in the league. Most 22-year-olds don’t get the free pass on Day 1, but the Florida product’s unprecedented rise through the minor leagues hasn’t gone unnoticed by other teams.

Langford is the 83rd Florida Gator to debut in the majors. Jacob Youing’s August debut with the Washington Nationals was the last.

Langford’s Career at Florida

Ranked the No. 144 overall player in the class of 2020 by Perfect Game, Langford joined the Florida Gators as a catcher. The FHSAA Class 1A state champion only got four at-bats as a freshman.

He transitioned to the outfield as a sophomore and took off at the plate. Tying the school record with 26 homers and slashing .355/.447/.719 led to a First Team All-American selection.

Langford entered his junior year as a consensus top-five pick and he lived up to the hype despite suffering a groin injury early in the year. He came back ahead of schedule and slashed .373/.498/.784 with 21 home runs and 57 runs batted in.

Drafted fourth overall, Langford is the second-highest Gator to ever be selected in the draft behind Mike Zunino — third overall in 2012. He left the program ranked sixth all-time in home runs with 47, fifth in batting average (.363), seventh in on-base percentage (.471) and set the program’s record for career slugging percentage at .746.

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Former Gators OF Wyatt Langford earns opening day roster spot

Former Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford, drafted fourth overall last year, will make the Texas Rangers’ MLB roster on Opening Day.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy confirmed that outfielder Wyatt Langford, the fourth overall draft pick in the 2023 draft out of Florida, would join the MLB team on Opening Day at just 22 years old.

Langford’s journey to The Show happened incredibly fast. Viewed as the second-best position player in the draft — behind LSU‘s Dylan Crews, who was reassigned to minor league camp yesterday — Langford was passed up by the Detroit Tigers as the expected third overall pick.

That made things easy for the Rangers. All Texas had to do was take the most pro-ready bat in the draft pool and let him do his thing. Langford set the home run record at Florida in 2022 (Jac Caglianone broke it a year later), and he

For the record, those in Gainesville were shocked when the Tigers passed him up. It’s hard to say he’s played with a chip on his shoulder since, but he’s been on an absolute tear since joining the pro ranks.

Langford started off, as most draftees do, in the complex league. At 21 years old, he was expected to be one of the most polished hitters in a league filled with teenage prospects, so a move to High-A Hickory came after just three games, skipping the Low-A level entirely.

Twenty-four games with the Crawdads is the most Langford spent at any level. He slashed .333/.453/.644 over 106 plate appearances with a 17.0% strikeout and walk rate —  those are elite numbers, for anyone who isn’t a baseball nerd.

Twelve games with Double-A Frisco produced even better results, so Langford ended the season on a five-game stint in Triple-A. An 18-game spring training audition appeared somewhat of a formality before Bochy officially announced Langford’s impending call-up.

Langford is on the fast track to MLB stardom, and he has a real chance to go down as one of the greatest Gators in the pros. Those are lofty expectations to set for someone who just turned 22 years old, but Langford hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down since he converted from being a catcher in 2022.

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Tracking the Florida Gators drafted to MLB in 2023

The Florida baseball team lost six players and two recruits during the 2023 MLB draft. Here’s how they performed in Year 0 in the pros.

The 2023 Florida baseball team came up just one win shy of hoisting the College World Series Championship in June, which naturally led to a large wave of departures in the subsequent MLB draft.

Florida lost perhaps the most dangerous bat it’s ever had, both of its top arms, a lefty out of the bullpen, the left side of the infield and two players from the 2023 recruiting class. It definitely could have gone worse, but Kevin O’Sullivan still has his work cut out for him if UF is going to have a similar season in 2024.

Even though these losses are significant, Florida fans will still be cheering the former Gators on as they embark on their pro careers.

For those of you who can’t get enough baseball, here’s a look at how the Florida Gators selected in the 2023 MLB draft fared in Year 0.

Former Gator OF Wyatt Langford called up to Double A

After just 24 games in High-A ball, former Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford is being called up to the Frisco Roughriders in Double-A.

Former Florida outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] continued to quickly climb up the Texas Rangers minor league system with a call-up to Double-A Frisco after just 24 games in High-A.

Langford is batting .340 with a 1.120 on-base-plus-slugging percentage over 100 career at-bats. He only spent three games in the Arizona Complex League before skipping Single-A entirely and moving to High-A Hickory. He’s dominated there and his power is showing to all fields, so it’s time to face tougher competition.

Former LSU Tiger Dylan Crews, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, recently got promoted to Double-A after putting up similar number to Langford and is going through an adjustment period. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Langford struggle as well, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him pick up where he left off in High-A either.

Langford’s 17.0% walk rate and strikeout rate are both above average, meaning he is seeing the ball well in the pros. But the jump to Double-A is perhaps the most significant in the minors.

With only 12 games left in the regular season and the Roughriders five games back of Armarillo in the Texas League South Division, Langford won’t get much time in Double-A, but the plate appearances will still be significant for a player who was in college less than 10 weeks ago.

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Former Gator Wyatt Langford promoted to High-A

Wyatt Langford needed just three games to prove he was ready for a promotion, and the Rangers are moving him up to their High-A affiliate in Hickory, North Carolina.

It only took three games in the Arizona Complex League for the Texas Rangers to decide that former Florida outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] needed some tougher competition.

Langford hit safely five times during his 14 plate appearances for the ACL Rangers, doubling three times and homering once. He went 3-for-4 on Monday with three runs batted in, a home run, a walk and a stolen base.

He’ll skip the Single-A affiliate Down East Wood Ducks entirely and move on to play for the High-A Hickory Crawdads in the South Atlantic League, according to Nick de la Torre of Gators Online.

Fangraphs thinks Langford will debut in the bigs by 2025 and ranks him 15th among all prospects in the league. High-A should be a bit more of a challenge for Langford, though. Some have compared that level of the minors to the SEC. While the comparison doesn’t always hold true, Langford was among the best hitters in all of college baseball. He should still perform well with the Crawdads.

Hickory is currently 19-10 (.655) and leading the South Division of the SAL. The Crawdads play nightly at 7:05 p.m. EDT through Saturday and are scheduled for 2:05 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Games are available on MiLB.tv.

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Wyatt Langford signs massive MLB contract

Former Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford just signed one of the biggest rookie contracts in MLB history.

Former Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford signed a contract with the Texas Rangers for $8 million on Monday, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com.

Langford’s deal is the seventh most lucrative of all time, but Dylan Crews could end up moving him down to the No. 8 spot once he signs. Former LSU Tiger (and Crews’ teammate) Paul Skenes broke the record set by Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson (Detroit) in 2020. Texas went $302,000 over the slot value to sign Langford.

It’s also the biggest deal for any Gator, eclipsing Jonathan India’s $5.3 million signing bonus for going fifth overall in the 2018 draft.

It will be a while before Langford makes his MLB debut, though. The Rangers will have more than half a decade of control over Langford for that lofty check. He’ll receive his first assignment shortly, either joining the rookie ball team at the Rangers’ spring training complex or starting off in Class A.

Either way, the quickest fans can expect him to make it to Double-A is next year, and that would require a strong performance early in the minors. That puts Langford’s expected MLB arrival somewhere around 2025 or early 2026.

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CBS Sports’ draft grades for Wyatt Langford, Hurston Waldrep picks

CBS Sports gives superlative grades for both of the Gators drafted in the first round.

The first two rounds of the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft are officially in the books, which saw a trio of former Gators taken — including a pair in the first round alone. While one player had a chance to be the first Florida alumnus taken first overall, both of the first-rounders still did well for themselves.

Firstly, outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] — who was expected to be among the first three selected on Sunday and a possible 1:1 pick — was drafted by the Texas Rangers at No. 4 overall after the Detroit Tigers passed him over for a high schooler. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson put together his draft grades on Monday morning and here is what gave the Langford pick.

Langford would have been a good get at No. 1 most years, so landing him at No. 4 is a great value. He’s a potential middle-of-the-order hitter who torched SEC pitching (.350/.484/.720 with one fewer walk than strikeout). He boasts sneaky athleticism and a veteran scout estimated he had a coin flip’s chance of remaining in center into his big-league days, so don’t be surprised if the Rangers give him a long look there. Grade: A

Secondly, there is starting pitcher [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag], who was plucked at No. 24 by his childhood favorite Atlanta Braves. Here is how that pick graded out.

Some scouts and analysts who spoke to CBS Sports in the lead up to the draft considered Waldrep worthy of a top-10 selection. That’s because he has some of the nastiest stuff in the class, including an elite splitter that very well could be this year’s best individual offering. Waldrep slipped because of his command: he walked more than 14% of SEC foes he faced, giving him more relief risk than some of his peers. The Braves can afford to swing for the fences this late in the first. Grade: A

Finally, starting pitcher Brandon Sproat was taken by the New York Mets at No. 56 overall. Anderson did not offer grades for selections made after the first 28.

The 2023 MLB draft continues on Monday for rounds three through 10. Things fire back up at 2 p.m. EDT and can be followed on live stream at MLB.com.

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Wyatt Langford drafted fourth overall by Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers drafted Wyatt Langford with the fourth overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft on Sunday.

Wyatt Langford’s is headed to Texas!

The Rangers used the fourth overall pick on the Florida outfielder, making him the highest-drafted player in program history since Mike Zunino at No. 3 in 2012.

Although there were rumblings of Langford jumping up to the No. 1 spot, LSU right-hander Paul Skenes was first off the board and his teammate Dylan Crews went second overall to Washington. Detroit surprised many by going with high school outfielder Max Clark, leaving Langford there for Texas to grab.

Langford played 134 games for Florida over three seasons. After spending his freshman year on the bench as a reserve catcher, Langford moved to the outfield in 2022, hoping to find more playing time. Any questions regarding his ability to play a new position quickly faded as he routinely made difficult plays in left field look simple.

Slashing .355/.447/.719 also meant that his bat was among the best in the entire country. He earned several All-American odds and tied the old Florida record of 26 home runs that Jac Caglianone beat this season.

Entering 2023 as one of the top draft-eligible college bats in the nation, Langford got off to a slow start, thanks in part to a groin injury that he returned early from. Instead of missing an expected 4-6 weeks, Langford came back in two, leaving the team without him for just seven games.

Still injured for most of the season, he slashed .373/.498/.784 and drove in 57 runs with 21 homers. He improved his eye a ton, walking 56 times to just 44 strikeouts, and flashed legitimate 70-grade speed once fully healed. He was a Golden Spikes semifinalist and one of the greatest Gators of all time.

Langford is the 18th first-round draft pick in program history and should be a generational talent for Texas.

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BREAKING: Pittsburgh Pirates select Paul Skenes with No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB draft

The best pitcher in the country now knows where he will start his pro career.

The best pitcher in the country now knows where he will start his pro career. [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

There was a lot of drama surrounding the first pick. Would it be [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] or Skenes? Pittsburgh went with one of the best players I have ever seen play the game of baseball.

Skenes spent one season at LSU but that one season was incredible. He finished the year with a 12-2 record, a 1.69 ERA, 209 strikeouts, and 20 walks.

He was named the National Player of the Year (D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball), Dick Howser Trophy winner, ABCA National Pitcher of the Year, and many more. Skenes came to LSU after spending two years as a pitcher and catcher for Air Force.

He wanted to serve the country, but he took a bet on himself playing baseball. On Sunday, that bet paid off.

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Here’s where The Athletic’s Keith Law expects Wyatt Langford to be drafted

Outfielder Wyatt Langford and starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep are the two former Florida Gators expected to be drafted on Sunday night.

There is a good chance a member of the Florida baseball team will make school history on Sunday night at the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft held in Seattle, Washington, to help kick off this summer’s All-Star Game festivities.

Outfielder Wyatt Langford, who has been a consensus top-five pick stretching back to the college preseason, is one of three prospects in the draft that are as “cannot miss” as one can get. Along with LSU Tigers‘ outfielder Dylan Crews and starting pitcher Paul Skenes, the trio comprise one of the strongest tops of the draft seen in recent years.

While the selection predictions have varied from writer to writer, Langford’s stock has been steadily ascending, with a large handful of the media seeing him taken first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Among those is The Atheltic’s Keith Law, who published his final mock draft on Sunday and put the Gator at the No. 1 position.

Langford has clearly been on the short list for the Pirates all year, but with Dylan Crews appearing to want over slot to sign here and the team’s apparent preference for a bat over an arm possibly leading them away from Paul Skenes, Langford is the best fit as someone who’s absolutely good enough to be the first overall pick but would sign at a number that will let the Pirates go over slot with later picks. Don’t discount Max Clark here either, for the same reasons, although I think the Pirates would prefer the college guy who’ll get there faster. Clark is motivated to go first overall and there’s a very good argument that he has the highest upside of any candidate to go here.

Law also has starting pitcher [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] taken at No. 21 by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals’ first-round pick last year was a big “pitch shape” guy, Cooper Hjerpe, although he’s currently on the shelf with an arm issue. Waldrep is another such player, featuring one of the best pitches in the draft in his power splitter.

St. Louis is also linked to Schanuel, Wilson, a little with Kevin McGonigle (who might end up at Auburn), and Chase Davis.

The 2023 MLB draft starts at 7 p.m. EDT and the first two rounds can be watched on ESPN and the MLB Network.

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