GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It's good to be
Wyatt Langford these days. On Friday, Rangers manager
Bruce Bochy told the former Gators slugger that he had made the Opening Day roster, making Langford's journey from a seldom-used reserve outfielder three years ago to a member of the defending World Series champions even more remarkable.
According to
MLB.com, Langford's
speed train to the big leagues is nearly unprecedented. Only two position players have ever been drafted and started the next season on the Opening Day roster with less experience in the minors and/or majors:
Pete Incaviglia of the 1986 Rangers (zero games) and
John Olerud of the 1990 Blue Jays (six).
When the Rangers host the Cubs on Thursday, 276 days will have passed since Langford played his final game for the Gators at the College World Series. Langford smashed a two-run homer in that game in Omaha to put the Gators ahead in the first inning against LSU. The Tigers roared back to win the national championship.
Soon, Langford was off to the minors, where after Texas signed him for a franchise-record $8 million as the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, he destroyed minor league pitching. Langford slashed .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers and 12 steals in 44 games while reaching Triple-A.
Next up: Opening Day at Globe Life Field. The farm boy nicknamed the Trenton Thunder in the major leagues.
*****
The Gators will be without one of their most heralded newcomers for the rest of spring camp.
Freshman linebacker
Myles Graham underwent a surgical procedure on his back to correct a lingering injury he sustained before enrolling at UF in January. Gators head coach
Billy Napier said over the weekend that he expects Graham to return by fall camp.
Myles Graham
Graham starred as a senior at Buchholz High and is the son of former Gators/NFL running back
Earnest Graham.
"He had an injury coming in," Napier said. "We went through phase one and phase two. We kind of set a deadline, like, 'Hey, when we get to spring break, if it feels like it's going to be a long-term issue, we want to go ahead and get it fixed.' So, we made that decision."
In his first spring, Graham competed with South Carolina transfer
Grayson "Pup" Howard,
Derek Wingo and
Mannie Nunnery for playing time. Graham is one of the top-rated players in Florida's 2024 signing class and is expected to make an impact as a true freshman.
"He's been outstanding," first-year Gators linebackers coach
Ron Roberts said earlier in camp. "A tremendous athlete, you know. Great hips, can run, flip his hips, do everything. He can play anything. So, he's been a pleasure to work with, and it's exciting."
*****
Watching Gators junior
Jac Caglianone pitch seven solid innings and hit his 11th homer of the season on Sunday at LSU reminded UF fans that they are running out of time to see the two-way standout pitch and bat at Condron Ballpark.
Barring a surprise development since Caglianone is among the top prospects available in the MLB amateur draft this summer, the big lefty should have four regular-season home starts remaining if he stays on schedule: Sunday vs. Mississippi State, April 14 vs. South Carolina, May 4 (Saturday) vs. Tennessee, and May 12 against Kentucky.
Caglianone enters Tuesday night's game against Florida State in Jacksonville, batting .394 with 11 home runs, 24 RBI and a 1.211 OPS. Caglianone is 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA in five starts, tossing 27 1/3 innings. He has limited opponents to a .130 average while walking 18 and striking out 39.
He looked like a much different pitcher on Sunday against LSU than last June in the final game of the CWS when the Tigers chased him with six runs in the second inning.
"I can't say enough about how he's been pitching the entire year,'' Gators coach
Kevin O'Sullivan said after Sunday's win. "He kept his composure, made his pitches."
