There are plenty of areas where Wyatt Langford excels. Yet there’s one particular quality that stands out most to Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker.
Only five players in franchise history have captured an American League MVP award for the Texas Rangers. The most recent was Josh Hamilton back in 2010.
Now, 16 years later, excitement is building around third-year outfielder Wyatt Langford. That kind of anticipation tends to follow a player who reached the Major Leagues after appearing in just 44 minor league games. While Langford hasn’t earned an All-Star selection yet, many believe that recognition could be on the horizon. He was a finalist for an AL Gold Glove in left field, showcasing his defensive ability. MLB Network even ranked him as the second-best player at a position he doesn’t regularly play — center field.
Schumaker has openly said that Langford possesses the qualities teams look for in a future MVP candidate. Whether that leap happens this season remains to be seen. The manager isn’t making bold predictions. Still, he emphasizes that Langford consistently handles his business the right way, highlighted by one key attribute that can’t be measured by statistics alone.
The Trait That Makes Wyatt Langford a Future MVP
Schumaker has made it clear to reporters that he believes Langford has the potential to become the face-of-the-franchise type of player. On Wednesday, he highlighted one quality that keeps him from ever doubting him — and it isn’t about raw ability.
It’s the level of care he brings.
“He cares defensively,” Schumaker said. “He cares about base running, he cares about hitting, he cares about his teammates, he cares about the community. He cares about the fan base, the organization. He’s everything you want in a young player.”
That commitment shows in the effort Langford is willing to invest, and he has demonstrated it throughout spring training. He’s already beginning to receive what Schumaker calls the “veteran treatment,” as the manager noted that Langford will not appear in Friday’s spring opener — not out of caution, but because the club is managing the third-year outfielder’s buildup in a deliberate manner.
He pays attention to his statistics to an extent. Earlier this week, he told reporters he is not a “.240 hitter.” His career slash line of .247/.335/.423 reflects a developing player who will not celebrate his 25th birthday until November. The power numbers back it up, with 38 home runs and 136 RBIs across two seasons. During the offseason, he adjusted his workout regimen in hopes of preventing the oblique strains that landed him on the injured list three separate times last year.
Schumaker believes Langford has strong examples to follow inside the clubhouse. Corey Seager owns two World Series MVP awards. Brandon Nimmo, a recent addition, is a seasoned veteran who developed into a respected leader in the New York Mets clubhouse.
The goal is not to push Langford into becoming something artificially. Instead, it is about equipping him with what he requires so growth can occur naturally.
I’m not putting the pressure on him to be that — it can just happen organically,” Schumaker said. “None of us are saying, ‘You’ve got to be this, that or the other.’ Just let him play, let him do what he’s been doing his whole career. I think it’s just going to organically happen.”