How Jacob Latz’s Awful Start Impacts Rangers Rotation, Bullpen Race

Jacob Latz has been one of the Texas Rangers’ most reliable pitchers the past 12 months. That reliability took a major hit on Thursday night.

Latz made his last start in spring training, and the Milwaukee Brewers lit him up. He gave up eight hits and nine earned runs in three innings, with five strikeouts and two walks. He threw 67 pitches, 45 of which were strikes. There was concern after the game about his losing velocity during the game. His fastball dropped by two miles per hour in the back half of his outing.

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Latz told reporters after the game that he felt his mechanics were great, per The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). He called the velocity dip “perplexing.” Manager Skip Schumaker said Latz’s best stuff were in his longer innings.

He threw 66 pitches in his previous spring training outing, which was four innings. So, he didn’t build up on extra rest. That, plus his performance, may make Texas’ decisions on the starting rotation and the bullpen much easier.

Projecting Rangers Pitching Staff

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws a baseball. — Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Latz is 1-1 with an 8.22 ERA in five spring training starts. His competition for the fifth starter, Kumar Rocker, is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in four games. He started on Wednesday and went four innings, giving up three hits and one run as he struck out six and walked two. He’s built up to 70 pitches.

Based on the numbers, Rocker probably gets the nod as the fifth starter. The Rangers haven’t decided and don’t have to until the second leg of their opening week road trip. But the rotation probably looks like this:

RHP Nathan Eovaldi

RHP Jacob deGrom

RHP Jack Leiter

LHP MacKenzie Gore

RHP Kumar Rocker

Eovaldi is set as the opening day starter. The rest of the order is TBA.

Latz is a lock for the bullpen. That was his destination if he didn’t make the rotation. He proved to be a great swing man last season and that skill will be valuable early in the season as Schumaker said Texas will need relievers that can go multiple innings.

So who else appears poised to make it? These relievers seem like locks with less than a week before opening day:

RHP Robert Garcia

RHP Chris Martin

RHP Cole Winn

LHP Jalen Beeks

RHP Tyler Alexander

Latz gives the bullpen two left-handers. The remaining two spots are coming down to right-handers Carter Baumler, Luis Curvelo and Jakob Junis on the 40-man roster. Among non-roster invitees, right-handers Peyton Gray, Cal Quantrill and Josh Sborz are the most likely pitchers to crash the roster.

Quantrill is still seen as a candidate as a fifth starter, but his length could allow him to piggy-back with a pitcher like Rocker. Texas could do the same with Latz. The Rangers may want to give Sborz a bit more time to build up velocity, but he’s pitched well in Arizona. Gray, based on performance, has had the best spring of any non-roster pitcher. But, the Rangers assigned him back to minor league camp on Friday.

Baumler is the wild card because of his Rule 5 status and the need to get him on the opening day roster or risk losing him.