TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES
Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher Jacob Latz, who pitched for LSU in the 2016 season, has been selected to the American League roster for the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game that will be played on July 14 (7 p.m., FOX) in Philadelphia.
A fifth round pick in 2017 by the Rangers, Latz, 30, is an All-Star for the first time and in his first Major League season in which he has spent no time in the minors. He is 1-1 this season with 18 saves, a 1.71 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched).
Opponents are hitting only .120 against him, and he has 43 strikeouts in 33 games. He was voted American League reliever of the month for June when he recorded an MLB-best 11 saves with a 1.13 ERA and 0.63 WHIP figure over 12 appearances. The 11 saves tied a Rangers’ record for saves in a month.
A native of Lemont, Illinois, Latz received a medical redshirt in 2015 at LSU after injuring his left elbow. In 2016, he made only seven appearances with three starts as he was troubled by an undisclosed illness. He finished the season at 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA in eight and a third innings with 11 strikeouts and four walks. He transferred to Kent State for the 2017 season, but sat out due transfer rules at the time that required players sitting out a season after a transfer.
After spending 2017 through most of 2021 in the minor leagues primarily as a reliever with the Rangers organization, he made his MLB debut in 2021 and pitched in just the one game all that season for Texas. He was back in the minors in 2022 at triple-A Rolling Rock, except for three games with the Rangers. He spent time with double-A Frisco and Rolling Rock in 2024 before lasting 46 games with the Rangers and going 2-3 witha 3.71 ERA over 43 and two-thirds innings with 40 strikeouts.
In 2025, he pitched in the minors for the final time at Rolling Rock before going 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA and a save over 85 and two-thirds innings with Texas over 33 games and had 76 strikeouts.
Be the first to comment