A third-year standout for the Texas Rangers is being projected to reach one of baseball’s most exclusive milestones next season. If he succeeds, he’ll be in rare company.
Amid an otherwise disappointing year for the Rangers’ offense, outfielder Wyatt Langford emerged as a clear positive. In 2025, he took a step forward from his rookie season by becoming a member of the 20 home run/20 stolen base club.
Langford finished the season with 22 homers and 22 steals, improving on his 2024 totals of 16 home runs and 19 steals. He accomplished that despite landing on the injured list twice and recording ten fewer at-bats than the year before.
Given that upward trend, expectations are even higher for 2026. MLB.com has projected that Langford could break into the elite 30 home run/30 stolen base club next season.
If he does, Langford would become just the third player in franchise history to reach the milestone, joining Alfonso Soriano (2005) and Ian Kinsler (2009, 2011). At 24 years old, he would also be the youngest Ranger ever to accomplish the feat. Soriano was 29 at the time, while Kinsler achieved it at ages 27 and 29.
Health will be the key factor. Although Langford is in strong physical shape, minor injuries have limited him in both of his major league seasons. In 2025, an adductor strain held him to 134 games, and he has yet to record a season with 500 or more at-bats.
While it’s still early to define Langford’s long-term ceiling, reaching the 30/30 club would be a major step toward fulfilling his potential. Doing so will likely require a healthier season and closer to 600 at-bats.
Rangers fans would welcome such a breakout, as it would likely signal a more productive offense overall. If Langford hits that mark and the lineup improves with the addition of Brandon Nimmo, Texas could find itself back in the playoff picture in 2026.
Leave a Reply