Rangers Best Reliever of 2026 Traveled Interesting Road to All-Star Status

In February Jacob Latz headed to Surprise, Ariz., to compete with Kumar Rocker to be the Rangers’ fifth starter. By the end of September, he was an All-Star closer.

It was improbable, even for Latz, who in 2025 served as an invaluable swingman who could work as a long reliever or work as a starter, depending upon what was needed. Before that, he made his MLB debut in 2021, didn’t play in the Majors in 2022 and gradually worked his way up the ladder.

What he did in 2026 made his, without question, the Rangers’ best reliever. As he has most of his career, he did it unconventionally.

Jacob Latz’s Impressive 2026

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jacob Latz follows through on a pitch during a game. — Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jacob Latz. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Latz finished the season 3-4 with a 2.13 ERA. He had 30 saves. He didn’t start the season as the closer, either. The Rangers seemed intent to letting either Robert Garcia or Chris Martin get the early chances. Both blew saves and eventually ended up on the injured list. Left-hander Tyler Alexander managed a couple of saves, as did Jakob Junis, before he logged his first save on April 25.

Manager Skip Schumaker didn’t anoint him the closer right away. But by the end of the May — when he had seven saves for the month — it was clear who he trusted in those moments.

He doesn’t have overpowering stuff. Latz’s fastball averages 94.8 mph and his three off-speed pitches all have a range of 80-86 mph, per Statcast. He makes up for the lack of an overpowering fastball with a starter’s repertoire. That helped him achieve chase rates, whiff rates and strikeouts rates in the 90th percentile or better in 2026.

The Rangers spent the entire season at or close to .500, wrapping up the campaign 80-82. Latz was a big part of ensuring the season didn't slip away from Texas in the dog days of summer, which is why he was selected to represent the team at the All-Star Game. He was the team's only representative and it's most deserving.

He was also a unique closer in that several times he put together two-inning saves. While most closers only pitch an inning, Latz could go two innings when needed and Schumaker leveraged that at times, perhaps more often than he wanted. But the Rangers didn’t have other options and other pitchers — notably Junis — dealt with injuries that took them out of the mix to help.

It was a breakthrough season for Latz in every respect. He went from being a relied upon swingman to an All-Star closer and did so his way, with his stuff and with the trust of a manager who understood his value.

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