BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 84
CURRENT ADP: ~164 overall
ANALYSIS: Langford mashed in his career at Florida, hitting 47 home runs and slashing .363/.471/.746 while striking out just 14.6 percent of the time and walking 15 percent across 610 plate appearances.
Langford does not chase often and has a strong feel for contact in the zone. Chasing just 15 percent of pitches collegiately while making contact on 88 percent of pitches in the zone is rather impressive. Langford’s average exit velocity in college trailed Dylan Crews by a decent margin, but a number sitting near 91 mph is still very impressive, considering his higher-end exit velocities were stellar (110 mph, 90th percentile).
Langford exploded in his pro debut and made himself No. 1 in the draft class and, for some, the top overall prospect. Between four levels and 200 plate appearances, Langford slashed .360/.480/.677 with 10 home runs and 29 extra-base hits.
The underlying data from college carried right over to pro ball as Langford made contact at a high clip, posting a zone contact rate north of 85 percent while his overall contact rate sat near 81 percent. The chase rate was right in line with his college number, and his 90th percentile exit velocity was north of 107 mph.
Langford was on the taxi squad during the World Series and was a legitimate candidate to replace Adolis Garcia on the roster when he went down with an injury, speaking highly of how the Rangers view Langford. There is a strong possibility he is on the 2024 Opening Day roster, but if not, it will not be long before he is roaming the outfield with the Rangers.
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