It took three months, but the Texas Rangers have finally celebrated their first cycle of the 2024 MLB season. The milestone was achieved by rookie sensation Wyatt Langford in a thrilling match against the Baltimore Orioles, where the Rangers emerged victorious with a dominating 11-2 scoreline.
Langford’s historic cycle is the 11th in franchise history, and remarkably, he is the first Rangers player to manage the feat since Carlos Gómez did so in 2017. Even more impressive, Langford joins an exclusive club, becoming the second rookie in franchise history to hit for the cycle. The only other rookie to accomplish this was Oddibe McDowell, who achieved his cycle in 1985. Langford is also the first rookie to hit for the cycle since Elly De La Cruz did so on June 23 of the previous year.
A Night to Remember
Langford’s memorable evening included base hits against four different Orioles pitchers. After an inauspicious start, flying out in his first at-bat against Cole Irvin, Langford turned things around dramatically. By the fourth inning, he had tripled off Irvin. He went on to double against Nick Vespi in the fifth inning, singled against Dillon Tate in the sixth, and capped off his outing with a towering home run off Matt Krook in the eighth inning.
Langford was selected by the Texas Rangers with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft and entered the season as the No. 4 prospect in baseball. Despite these high expectations, Langford initially struggled to find his footing at the major league level. Through his first 31 games, he hit a modest .224/.295/.293. A hamstring strain further hampered his progress, landing him on the injured list on May 4.
Resurgence Post-Injury
Returning on May 28, Langford showed marked improvement. In the 28 games since his return, he batted a more respectable .275/.333/.422, striking out 18 times. Scouts had always been optimistic about his potential, with R.J. Anderson noting, "Scouts have felt confident giving him plus offensive projections even before he took a pro at-bat."
The Texas Rangers, currently holding a 38-46 record following Sunday’s win, remain eight games out of a wild-card spot. Despite the team's challenges, Langford’s performance stands as a bright spot in an otherwise difficult season.
As the season progresses, the hope is that Langford's recent surge and memorable cycle can serve as a catalyst not only for his burgeoning career but also for a Rangers team in need of consistent, standout performances.