Rangers top rookies are not off to the start that fans were hoping for

When the 2024 season started for the Texas Rangers, there was a lot of hype around the arrival of Wyatt Langford as well as a full season of Evan Carter. Don't get it twisted: fans were excited to see this entire Rangers team begin their World Series title defense, but there is something special about seeing guys who are slated to be a part of the Rangers' foundation get their careers started.

Six games into the season, the Rangers are 4-2 and things are looking pretty good going forward, but Langford and Carter have thus far not quite lived up to the hype that surrounded them throughout spring training.

Rangers fans need not worry about Langford and Carter just yet

Given the fact that Langford could basically do no wrong in spring training, many started to assume that he was going to come out of the gates guns a-blazing. While his line through the first few games of the season (.240/.286/.320) isn't a total disaster, it also isn't exactly what Rangers fans were looking for, either. Most notably, the power that was on full display this spring has yet to show up in the regular season at all.

Carter's start is significantly more troubling. He has draw plenty of walks, but he also has yet to record a hit after a 2023 debut where he set the world on fire and was a key cog in the Rangers' World Series-winning offense. His start was so rough that Texas decided to sit Carter on Wednesday against the Rays.

Everyone should take all of these numbers from a very small sample with a grain of salt, however. Langford is still putting the ball in play consistently and with authority while keeping the strikeouts mostly in check. Eventually, balls are going to start finding holes and he is going to put plenty over the fence. Carter has been even more unlucky on his balls in play, his plate discipline is still top tier, and there is little chance that his current 61.5% ground ball rate is going to remain that high over a larger sample.

At the end of the day, these guys are still young and they are getting a lot of attention from opposing teams who are looking to keep them in check. It is on Langford and Carter to make the needed adjustments, but these two guys are way too talented to be held down for much longer (we hope).

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