BALTIMORE — Wyatt Langford’s big league debut has been highly anticipated for some time now, even though it’s been less than a year since the Texas Rangers took him with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Though he made his debut in the season opener, it wasn’t until Sunday night that the former University of Florida star really came into his own.
Langford hit for the cycle at Camden Yards, tripled, doubled and singled in his second through fourth at-bats before his most impressive performance, a three-run homer to the left field corner to end the Rangers’ scoring and defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 11-2.
Langford, 22, had a great rookie season, albeit one that didn’t stand out after missing three weeks with a hamstring injury in May, but he’s proving why the Rangers nearly put him on last year’s World Series-winning playoff roster just two months after being drafted.
Langford finished a stellar June batting .309 (30-for-97) with three home runs and 22 RBIs, best totals among AL rookies. The grand finale was broadcast nationally.
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Langford tripled in his second at-bat off left-handed starter Cole Irvin, then scored his first run in the fifth inning with a hustle double that scored a run on a relatively routine grounder to center field off Orioles reliever Nick Vespi.
He singled in the seventh inning to set up the historic ending.
Batting against 29-year-old rookie relief pitcher Matt Kruk, Langford timed his hit on a floating cutter and used an exaggerated leg kick to drive the ball 404 feet down the left field line for a three-run homer. He became the first Rangers rookie to hit for the cycle since speedster O’Dive McDowell in 1985. It was the 11th time in franchise history that a player has hit for the cycle.
With the Rangers leading 8-2, Langford made no attempt to hide his intentions.
“I was trying to hit a home run,” he said, sounding a little embarrassed.
His team noticed, and you can’t blame him.
“It seemed like he had it in his mind, honestly, don’t you think?” said Bruce Bochy, in his 27th season as Rangers manager.
“We were all rooting for him and he didn’t miss a beat, I would say.”
He also made history in another way: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Langford became the first rookie in history to hit an inside-the-park home run, a grand slam and hit for the cycle.
And this stellar rookie year is only half over for Langford, who is currently batting .260 with a .712 OPS and four home runs.
“He’s just an exciting player,” Bochy said. “He’s a baseball player, and he likes to be aggressive. He’s fearless on the bases. When he gets off the bases, he’s looking to get a second or a third. He’s got great instincts. He’s fun to watch.”
“To hit for the cycle in your first year is pretty monumental. Guys never hit for the cycle in their entire careers. He hit for the cycle in his first year.”
