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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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire