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Rising Rangers Superstar Predicted To Be Face of Franchise in 2028

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Texas Rangers are staring down missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

Coming off a World Series championship in 2023, that is an abject disaster considering the payroll the Rangers have with so many star players littered throughout the roster combined with multiple talented young players in the mix as well.

All of a sudden, the once promising future in Texas looks murky, with many decisions needing to be made going forward about who is going to be on the team as the organization figures out what has gone wrong these past two years.

But one player who will assuredly be in the mix for a long time is Wyatt Langford, the rising star who was selected fourth overall in the 2023 draft and has already proven himself to be an elite hitter at just the age of 23.

Wyatt Langford Predicted To Be Face of Rangers in 2028

Through 237 Major League games, Langford owns an OPS+ of 115 and a wRC+ of 110, both above the league average marks of 100. He's also hit 33 home runs with 124 RBI, putting himself on pace to reach tons of notable milestones during his career.

And in the opinion of Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, Langford is going to become the face of the Rangers in three years, taking that mantle from Corey Seager, who has been considered the best player on this team since he arrived.

"Of course, Wyatt Langford has already shown in the majors that he can be a five-tool star, making him the safer, more obvious pick here," he wrote.

Defense is a major part of Langford's game, and even though he has been impactful with the bat in his hands, what he has done with his glove in the outfield is arguably his greatest strength at this point in his career. He has 26 defensive runs saved to his name and is worth 12 outs above average, giving him that five-tool status with 35 stolen bases across two seasons as well.

It will be interesting to see exactly what the rising star develops into, with him having the potential to become the best outfielder in baseball based on his ability to hit for average and power, while also providing elite defense in the field.

Langford is going to be someone to watch for a long time, and if he hits his ceiling, there's a good chance he won't just be the face of the Rangers, he'll be one of the faces of the sport.