Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Latz arrived at spring training competing for a starting rotation job. Four months later, he is an All-Star. The 30-year-old left-hander was named to the American League All-Star team on Saturday, the Rangers' lone representative for the July 14 game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
After losing the fifth-starter battle to Kumar Rocker, Latz shifted to the bullpen and emerged as the team's closer by late April. He was selected to the All-Star Game by the Commissioner's Office, capping a remarkable first-half surge that included American League Reliever of the Month honors for June.
During June, Latz posted a 1.13 ERA across 16 innings with an MLB-best 11 saves, striking out 19 while walking just four. His 11 saves set a single-month franchise record, and he recorded three multi-inning saves in the month, a figure no other MLB pitcher has matched all season.
Overall, Latz boasts a 1.71 ERA and 0.62 WHIP, holding hitters to a .120 batting average. He leads the majors in saves of four-plus outs with nine and multi-inning saves with five, making him one of the most versatile late-inning weapons in baseball.
The Kent State product, drafted in the fifth round in 2017, is just the ninth reliever in Rangers and Senators franchise history to make the All-Star team. He is the first Rangers reliever to earn the honor since Kirby Yates in 2024. Schumaker officially anointed Latz as the closer during a late-June series in Toronto.
