Chris Young settles Rangers' center field debate between Evan Carter, Wyatt Langford

One of the biggest questions regarding the Rangers this offseason has been: Who will be the team's starting center fielder in 2026?

Everyone knew the answer would be either Evan Carter or Wyatt Langford. Both players are strong defensive outfielders who can play center field at an elite level, so it seemed like a tough decision for the Rangers' brass. Carter posted 4 OAA (Outs Above Average) in 133 attempts in center last season, while Langford posted 5 OAA at the position in 121 attempts (plus 5 OAA in 212 attempts as a left fielder).

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young finally settled the center field debate, MLB Network's Tom Verducci confirmed.

"They want [Evan Carter] to be the everyday center fielder," Verducci said. "They love what they're seeing out of [him]."

Rangers plan to have Evan Carter be starting center fielder over Wyatt Langford

We've known since December that the Rangers plan to have Carter hit against lefties more often in 2026. We just didn't know if he'd do it as a left or center fielder. Now we do. He'll start in center during the Rangers' spring training game against the Kansas City Royals today.

Per OAA, Langford was technically better than Carter in center last year, but not by much. Regardless, Carter and Langford manning center and left field, respectively, give the Rangers a strong defensive outfield, even with Brandon Nimmo, who will play right field, being a below-average defender at this point in his career.

The Rangers' decision isn't that surprising, as Carter only played center field last year during his limited action. Langford just impressed at the position to the point that a debate on who would play it this season emerged among Texas fans.

If Evan Carter, Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo remain healthy, Rangers could have best outfield in MLB

As explored earlier in the article, we know that Carter and Langford are among the game's best defenders in the outfield. Nimmo was rated as a below-average left fielder for the New York Mets last year, posting -1 OAA, but he isn't abysmal in the outfield. He won't be the best defensive right fielder, but he shouldn't be terrible, either.

As far as the outfield's offense goes, there is a lot to be excited about. Last season, Langford, 24, hit .241/.344/.431 (127 OPS+) with 22 homers, 25 doubles, 62 RBI and 22 stolen bases over 134 games. He also posted a 115 OPS+ in his rookie season (2023).

Nimmo brings a much-needed above-average bat to the Rangers' lineup. He slashed .262/.324/.436 (114 OPS+) with 25 home runs, 27 doubles, 92 RBI and 13 stolen bases last season. Besides his first season (2016), where he appeared in just 32 games, Nimmo has posted an OPS+ above 100 each year he's been in the big leagues.

As for Carter, the 23-year-old has struggled to repeat the success he experienced when he was called up out of nowhere in late 2023 and helped Texas win its first World Series in franchise history. Injuries have played a big part in that. He appeared in just 45 games in 2024 and 63 in 2025. However, while his stats haven't been on par with his monster performance in late 2023, he still posted a solid .247/.336/.392 (114 OPS+) slash line in 2025. If he just hits as well as he did last season and continues to play amazing defense, he'll be an extremely valuable player for the Rangers. But we also know he's capable of being an even better hitter.