Texas Rangers Opening Day roster projection 2.0: Has Wyatt Langford done enough?

The World Champion Texas Rangers will be looking to head back to the Fall Classic in 2024, but it's not going to be an easy task. The Rangers emerged from the MLB postseason last fall with their first ever championship, but no team has repeated as champion in over 20 years.

That's the test facing Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy and this year's Rangers team. Several players have already locked up their spots on this year's roster, but some question marks remain with only three weeks left until Opening Day.

Have any non-roster invitees done enough to sneak onto the Rangers Opening Day roster? How about an up-and-coming prospect? Is Texas ready to promote Wyatt Langford to the big leagues already? Let's see what the second iteration of the Rangers Opening Day roster projection looks like.

Texas Rangers Opening Day roster projection 2.0: Has Wyatt Langford done enough?

Texas Rangers Opening Day infield (9)

• Nathaniel Lowe
• Marcus Semien
• Josh Smith
• Ezequiel Duran
• Corey Seager
• Jonah Heim
• Josh Jung
• Andrew Knizner
• Justin Foscue

The Texas Rangers Opening Day infield is all but set. Those same five players that helped Texas take home the World Series title in 2023 will be on the diamond to receive all the applause from the Rangers fanbase on March 28.

Going around the horn, Jung, Seager, Semien, and Lowe will all be on Bochy's lineup card. There are questions about Seager's availability for Opening Day, but if he gets a couple of spring games under his belt, the four-time All-Star should be ready to go.

The catching tandem of Heim and Knizer will be hanging the signs (or pushing the buttons) for the Rangers pitching staff this season. Sam Huff, who can also fill in at first base and DH, has minor league options remaining and should be optioned to Triple-A.

The Rangers bench is likely to be filled out by the duo of Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith. Infielder Justin Foscue is one of the Rangers top prospects according to MLB Pipeline, and it's time to see what the former first-round pick can do in The Show.

Texas Rangers Opening Day outfield (4)

• Adolis Garcia
• Evan Carter
• Travis Jankowski
• Leody Tavares

Sorry, Rangers fans, but the Wyatt Langford hype train may have to sit in the station a bit longer. There's no doubt that Texas' first-round draft pick from a year ago has all the talent to break camp with the big league club, but it does no harm whatsoever to send the 22-year to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the 2024 season.

Jankowski is the type of player that every manager wants in his dugout. Jankowski can play every outfield position and is a great defensive replacement late in games. The veteran has plenty of speed on the base paths and is well liked in the Rangers clubhouse. At the moment, it seems unlikely that Langford will displace Jankowski on the Rangers Opening Day roster.

As for the other three spots, they're essentially set in stone. No one is going to confuse Tavares for Babe Ruth, but the 25-year-old plays above-average defense at a premium position, and the rest of the Rangers lineup can make up for whatever Tavares lacks at the dish.

Garcia will undoubtedly be grabbing a spot near the top of Bochy's lineup card when the Rangers open the upcoming season at home against the Chicago Cubs. El Bombi will looking to lead Texas back to the postseason in 2024.

Finally, last fall's breakout performer will part of the Rangers Opening Day lineup this season. After announcing himself to the world on the biggest stage of them all last October, Evan Carter will be looking to make even more history in what will still be considered his rookie season.

Texas Rangers Opening Day starting rotation (5)

• Nathan Eovaldi
• Dane Dunning
• Jon Gray
• Andrew Heaney
• Cody Bradford

It would seem as though the idea of bringing Jordan Montgomery back to the Lone Star State is a bit of pipe dream. But even without the lefty, the Rangers are sitting pretty with their top five pitchers.

Eovaldi will likely be Bochy's Opening Day starter and will be followed by some combination of Gray, Dunning, and Heaney. Bradford is in line to secure that fifth and final spot in the rotation.

After a rocking 2023 season in the minor leagues, the Rangers are hopeful that Jack Leiter figures things out this season. The former first-round pick is a non-roster invitee this spring, but unlikely to be part of the Rangers Opening Day roster. Texas is also banking on Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Tyler Mahle returning later this season.