A highly touted prospect hit his first career home run in an unexpected way.
The Texas Rangers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 at Globe Life Field in Texas on Monday (Sept. 29) behind a two-run homer by Wyatt Langford, 23, who hit his first career home run.
Langford was Texas’ first-round draft pick (No. 4 overall) last year. He led the league with 26 home runs at the University of Florida.
In just one year as a pro, he tore through Rookie, Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. Along the way, he also demonstrated his long-ball power, blasting 10 home runs.
In exhibition play this year, he led the Arizona Cactus League in home runs and RBIs, batting .366 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, and a 1.137 OPS. His inclusion on the opening day roster was a no-brainer. It literally heralded a breakout year,
but the big leagues proved to be a tough nut to crack. The day before, Langford was batting just 2-for-4 with 20 doubles in 86 at-bats and a .652 OPS. Notably, 안전놀이터 he didn’t have a single home run. It was one of the biggest surprises for Texas fans at the beginning of the season.
Finally, the thirst was quenched. It was an inside-the-park home run.
Langford stepped to the plate with two outs in the top of the first inning after Adolis Garcia’s leadoff double gave Texas a 2-0 lead. After working a full count against Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott, Langford took eight pitches. The pitch hit 163.2 mph and bounced off the right-field fence.
Langford’s speed was explosive, and he needed just 15.18 seconds to reach home. MLB.com described him as “running like his hair was on fire,” and Statcast said it was the third-fastest run of the season behind only Eli DeRacruz (Cincinnati) and Jonathan Klassen (Seattle Mariners).
After the game, Langford said, “I think it was just a matter of getting my first home run. It was a weird way to do it, but now that I’ve got my first home run, I think things are going to go well,” he laughed.
According to Elias Sports, Langford is the first player in the last 30 years to hit an infield single in his debut and his first home run as an inside-the-park home run. Instead of the big guns that were expected of him as an amateur, he got his first hit and first home run with his feet.
One of the reasons for Langford’s slump in particular is the umpires’ “rookie taming” calls.
The call was one of the most notable early-season blown calls in Major League Baseball, a league that’s been in the midst of a debate over the use of an automated baseball review system (ABS).
Langford stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the fourth inning of a 7-1 win over the Houston Astros on April 13. But on a 0B2S pitch count, three balls outside the zone were called strikes and he struck out. It was the infamous umpire Angel Hernandez, and the strikeout was even more disappointing because he had hit a single earlier in the at-bat.
Despite the early struggles, 카지노사이트 추천 Texas manager Bruce Bochy is giving Langford a chance, playing him in left field and designated hitter. “He finally hit a home run,” Bochy said. He’s got a lot of talent. I think he’s going to break out of his shell.”