Under a year ago, Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford was just finishing up his final year of college baseball for the Florida Gators. Since then, he has had a meteoric rise up the Rangers farm system, which was capped off fully with his best MLB game to date on Sunday night.
As a team, the Rangers haven’t exactly lived up to expectations after winning the World Series this past season, coming into Sunday’s game at just 37-46 on the year.
But individually, Langford has had some flashes of solid play on the year at just 22 years of age. Especially lately, holding a batting average of .283 in the month of June.
Langford boosted those numbers in a pretty massive way on Sunday night, hitting for the cycle which was capped off with a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning.
Rangers' Wyatt Langford becomes the Rangers rookie since 1985 to hit for the cycle!🔥👀pic.twitter.com/vHPTeNZFjL
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 1, 2024
In the process, Langford became the first rookie in Rangers history since Oddibe McDowell in 1985 to hit for the cycle.
Naturally, fans had plenty to say about Langford’s unbelievable day on social media.
A year ago Wyatt Langford was getting ready for the draft, tonight he hit for the cycle for the Texas Rangers pic.twitter.com/uZ5yngpRBH
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) July 1, 2024
✅ Single
✅ Double
✅ Triple
✅ Home runAll 4 hits from Wyatt Langford's first career cycle ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/i85VqxaCzc
— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2024
Wyatt Langford is here to stay. 😤
He becomes just the eleventh player to hit for the cycle in franchise history!pic.twitter.com/I2iB8669HY
— Michael Bier (@MichaelJBier) July 1, 2024
Wyatt Langford made history in a couple different ways tonight:
• First player to hit for the cycle on Sunday Night Baseball
• First Rangers rookie to hit for the cycle since 1985The #4 pick from Florida is off to a good start in the big leagues. pic.twitter.com/8pJo9961ze
— Jack Delperdang (@jack_delperdang) July 1, 2024
As the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Langford naturally has had a ton of expectations to succeed early on in his career. You can even argue that he has had more pressure than any rookie in his draft class considering he joined a defending World Series champion.
Based on his play thus far in the MLB, it sure seems like Langford is set to stay in the MLB for years to come. And tonight’s game is further proof of just that.