One Rangers player who'll evolve into a first-time All-Star by next summer

Injury replacements have yet to be announced, but for now, it appears only one player, left-handed closer Jacob Latz, will represent the Texas Rangers in the 2026 All-Star Game at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14. It's a well-deserved honor for Latz, who has been worth 1.6 fWAR with a 1.71 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate, 5.9% walk rate and 18 saves over 42 innings entering Sunday.

If outfielder Wyatt Langford hadn't been injured for most of this season, it's difficult not to imagine that he would've joined Latz in representing Texas at this year's Midsummer Classic. As long as Langford is healthy for most of the first few months of next season, there's a strong possibility he will make his first All-Star appearance at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Rangers' Wyatt Langford should eventually be an All-Star, as long as he can stay healthy

Langford had a rough start to the season, hitting just .238/.274/.363 (76 wRC+) over 84 plate appearances through April 21 before landing on the injured list with a right forearm flexor strain. Langford returned from the IL on June 5 and began performing at an MVP level. In 89 plate appearances after returning from his forearm injury, Langford slashed a remarkable .317/.371/.634 (179 wRC+) with seven home runs, five doubles and 16 RBI, raising his season slash line to .278/.324/.500 (129 wRC+). Unfortunately, Langford's hot streak paused due to another injury, a left hamstring strain, which landed him on the IL on June 28. Langford is expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, according to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry.

The Rangers have held steady without Langford, holding a two-game lead over the Houston Astros for the third American League Wild Card spot as of Sunday morning. Langford hasn't been the only key player Texas has had to play without lately, either, with Corey Seager and Jack Leiter both on the IL.

When looking at Langford's short MLB career, it's easy to conclude that he will one day be an All-Star. In 308 games since making his MLB debut in 2024, Langford has accumulated 8.7 fWAR while slashing .251/.333/.434 (117 wRC+) with 46 home runs, 156 RBI, and +34 Defensive Runs Saved. The outfielder has improved at the plate in each of his three seasons and is only 24 years old.

Langford's biggest roadblock to making his first All-Star Game appears to be his health. While he appeared in 134 games in each of the last two seasons, the fact that he's already been on the IL twice this season is a bit concerning, especially on the heels of three IL stints last year, all due to oblique injuries. 2027 will be key, not only for Langford's All-Star hopes, but also to avoid being tagged with the "injury-prone" label for the rest of his career.

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