Rangers fans might not have noticed this critical Wyatt Langford development

Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford had a rough start to the season, slashing .238/.274/.363 (75 wRC+) in 84 plate appearances before landing on the injured list with a right forearm strain on April 22. But since returning from the IL on June 5, Langford has looked like the best version of himself, hitting .288/.339/.577 (152 wRC+) with four home runs, three doubles, and seven RBI over 56 plate appearances. In his last seven games, Langford hit .414/.452/.793 (244 wRC+) with three home runs, two doubles, and six RBI across 31 plate appearances.

It's safe to say Langford has found his groove at the plate. With his recent hot streak, Langford has improved his season slash line to an above-average clip of .258/.300/.447 (106 wRC+). As usual, Langford has also been outstanding defensively this year, recording +5 Defensive Runs Saved and +2 Outs Above Average in just 253 innings.

Wyatt Langford's resurgence is a much-needed development for the Rangers' struggling offense

Given the rough state of the Rangers' offense (although it put up nine runs against the Padres on Friday) and Langford's slow start, it's easy to overlook how good the outfielder has been lately. While he contributed to the team's offensive woes early in the season, he is a big reason the team is even close to a playoff spot due to his recent resurgence and strong defense.

Langford has mainly been a left fielder this year, but now appears to be the club's starting center fielder, at least until Evan Carter, who is sidelined with an oblique strain, returns from the IL. After making his first start in center field since returning from the IL on Friday, Langford started at the position again on Saturday. His arm strength isn't great, but his elite range and speed still make him an outstanding defensive center fielder.

Worth 0.9 fWAR this year, Langford is on a 4.4 fWAR pace over 162 games. If he hadn't been hurt most of the season, there's a good chance he'd be making a push to play in the All-Star Game this year.

Langford's strong stretch is a much-needed development for the Rangers' struggling offense, which ranks 27th in runs (301) and 22nd in OPS (.704) as of Saturday morning. Despite the team's offensive woes, the Rangers are still in striking distance of a playoff spot; Texas trails the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners by two games and the third AL Wild Card spot by 1 1/2 games. If Langford continues to dominate at the plate, the Rangers have a decent shot to sneak into the postseason.

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