Wyatt Langford reacts to 2023 MLB Draft selection

Florida Gators outfielder Wyatt Langford‘s childhood dreams became a reality on Sunday night, as the College World Series standout was selected with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers.

Langford joined ESPN’s broadcast of the draft from his home, giving his instant reaction to officially being a Texas Ranger starting with the feeling of wearing the team’s cap on draft day.

“Glad to be wearing it, it’s hard to describe the emotions going through me right now, but I’m just really excited,” Langford said.

Langford’s work ethic became a trademark of his, working on his own even at the high school level at improving his game independently. Those lonely days and nights clearly paid off for him as he became the Gators’ 18th first-round draft selection in program history.

“Yeah, growing up I was always taught to just work hard,” Langford said. “If something wasn’t right, if something was wrong I tried to fix it on my own.”

Langford impressed at Florida last season, boasting a .373 batting average and sending 21 home runs over the outfield fence. But he did some of his best work during the College World Series, recording nine hits, seven runs, nine RBIs, and three home runs, including a 456-foot bomb that set a new record for the longest homer in MCWS ballpark history.

He had a stellar five hit, six RBI game versus LSU in the World Series finals, but it was not enough for the Gators to bring a national title back to The Swamp.

“Omaha was everything I expected it to be and even more, we had a great team and we made a great run. We just came up a little short and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world,” Langford said.

Most players play at the minor league level of an organization before jumping to the MLB, something Langford is used to. In his freshman season, he only saw four at-bats, but worked on his craft and was able to make an absolute splash in his sophomore and junior seasons after waiting his turn.

“I learned a lot,” Langford said. “I learned a lot about myself and just the team overall and kind of just the whole college experience. Coming into school I kind of thought I was a top dog coming from a small town and I kind of realized that wasn’t the case. So I had to put my head down and work hard and wait for my opportunity to come.”

Only time will tell how long Langford will have to wait his turn at the professional level, but hopefully, he’s able to make just as much of an impact as he made at Florida in Texas for the Rangers.