Rangers announce Minor League Award winners for August
Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the organization’s minor league award winners for August:
Player of the Month – OF Wyatt Langford
Starting Pitcher of the Month – RHP Jose Corniell
Reliever of the Month – LHP Grant Wolfram
Defender of the Month – INF Cam Cauley
Langford, 21, batted .324/.457/.622/1.079 (24-74) with 4 home runs, 2 triples, 6 doubles, 12 RBI, and 17 walks/15 strikeouts across 21 games for Hickory (High-A) last month. He reached safely via hit or walk in 19 of 21 games in August, ranking among South Atlantic League leaders last month in OPS (3rd), extra-base hits (T5th, 12), walks (T6th), total bases (T7th, 46), and doubles (T8th). The Gainesville, Fla. native posted a seven-game hitting streak to end August and was named SAL Player of the Week for August 28-September 3, going 7-for-17 (.412) with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and 4 RBI. Langford has combined to slash .333/.449/.633/1.082 (40-120) with 6 home runs, 14 doubles, and 23 RBI over the first 33 professional contests with the Arizona Complex League Rangers (Rookie), Hickory, and Frisco (AA) this season since being the no. 4 overall selection by the Rangers in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft.
The 20-year-old Corniell went 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA (5 ER/29.0 IP) and 32 strikeouts/5 walks over 5 games/starts for Hickory in August, holding opposing hitters to a .160/.220/.250/.470 (16-100) slash line. The right-hander allowed 2-or-fewer earned runs in each of his 5 starts last month, and matched a season high with 9 strikeouts in starts on August 8 vs. Asheville and August 23 vs. Greenville. He ranked among South Atlantic League qualifiers in ERA (1st), wins (T1st), strikeouts (2nd), and opponents batting average (3rd). For the season, Corniell has combined to post an 8-3 record, 2.92 ERA (33 ER/101.2 IP), and 119 strikeouts/31 walks in 23 games/17 starts with Down East (A) and Hickory. The Dominican Republic native is currently rated among the top prospects in the Texas farm system by MLB Pipeline (no. 23).
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Wolfram allowed just three earned runs in 11 relief outings for Frisco last month, compiling a 3-0 record, 1.53 ERA (3 ER/17.2 IP), and 23 strikeouts/3 walks. He posted multiple strikeouts in 6 of 11 appearances and held opponents to a .186/.234/.305/.540 (11-59) slash line. Taken by the Rangers in the 18th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, the southpaw has gone 10-1 with one save, a 3.90 ERA (27 ER/62.1 IP), and 78 strikeouts over 40 games/one start with Frisco and Round Rock (AAA) in 2023. He surrendered zero earned runs across 10 games (16.0 IP) from July 20-August 17, and ranks among Texas League relievers this season (min. 45.0 IP) in wins (1st), opp. BA (1st, .158), and strikeouts (9th, 67), and WHIP (1st, 0.79).
Cauley, 20, recorded a .950 fielding percentage in 60 total chances (24 PO, 33 A) over 16 games/starts at shortstop/second base with Hickory in August. His season totals over 89 games at the two positions across Single/High-A in 2023: 815.1 innings, 342 total chances, 122 putouts, 202 assists, and 36 double plays. Selected by Texas in the 3rd round of the 2021 MLB draft out of Barbers Hill (Texas) High School, Cauley has batted .245 (90-367) with 12 home runs, 59 RBI, and 36 stolen bases over 100 games with Hickory and Down East in 2023.
