The case for Rangers not extending Wyatt Langford this offseason

The Rangers are neck and neck with the Houston Astros for the AL West crown with one game left to play. It's a must-win for Texas, as the Astros hold the tiebreaker and would advance if both teams finish with identical records.

Regardless of whether the team qualifies for the postseason, there will be some very difficult decisions that must be made over the winter that will shape the future of the franchise heading into 2027 and beyond. One of the biggest question marks surrounding Ray Davis and Chris Young will be whether or not to extend Wyatt Langford, who is playing out the final year of the pre-arbitration portion of team control.

Much was expected of the five-tool first-round 2023 draft pick out of Florida, but he has yet to deliver on that potential. Now that he is slumping his way through the end of the season, it may not be prudent to back up the Brink's truck and pay what the left fielder will likely demand to stay in Arlington.

Langford has not improved over his first three years with the Rangers, and the team should let him go this offseason

There was a six-week window from mid-June through the end of July where it appeared that Langford had turned the corner and figured it out at the plate. He was just off the IL, and from June 16 to July 26, he went 34-for-94 (.362) with 9 homers and 21 RBIs. He was barreling everything and lifted his average from .233 to a high-water mark of .290.

Since the calendar turned to September and the Rangers have been in de facto playoff games every night during their race for the playoffs, Langford has been MIA. His batting average has dipped all the way down to .239. More importantly, he hasn't delivered a single big hit in the last six weeks of the season. His strikeouts have skyrocketed (29 in his last 77 at-bats).

He has become a one-dimensional pull hitter who refuses to shorten his swing with two strikes and adjust his upward swing plane, resulting in an inordinate number of pop-ups and harmless fly balls. He will finish 2026 with his worst batting average as a pro, and it has gone down each of his three seasons.

The team claims that he has been dealing with some minor, nagging injuries, but if he is healthy enough to play, he has to be out there every day. The alternative is another stint on the IL, which doesn't help the organization know what they have as Langford completes his third full season in the league.

Langford's 2026 slash of .239/.335/.425 is worse than last season and only marginally better than his rookie campaign. He will only end up playing in 110 games this year and has never played more than 134.

When Wyatt gets a hold of a ball and sends it flying out into the left-field seats, it is a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, the combination of his lack of availability and his streaky nature has left the fanbase wondering if he is still being looked at as a franchise cornerstone moving forward.

It is always unwise to pay for potential, and even though he hasn't done himself any favors with his downward spiral to close out 2026, Langford will absolutely ask for a 4-to-5-year, 8-(possibly 9-) figure deal. But what will it be based on? Three seasons with a 162-game average of 24 homers, 77 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 119 and 160 Ks? Multiple IL trips every season? No, thank you.

This was a year in which hopes were high that Langford would finally emerge as the superstar we were all promised. Instead, we're still left wondering, "Is this it?" A roughly .760 OPS year in and year out is nothing to sneeze at, but it's also not something you build a team around.

The Rangers are in a tough position regarding his future. An extension doesn't make sense when you add in the durability issues and the streakiness, and it becomes hard to commit to Langford long-term. The club could have him simply play out the three remaining arbitration years he has left, but one has to wonder if there's a better path they could take.

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