The Rangers Reliever Whose Value Can be Measured by ‘Moxie’

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker would prefer not to use Jacob Latz for two inning saves. Lately he hasn’t had much choice.

Latz picked up the win in Thursday’s 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals to improve to 2-1. The left-hander has emerged as the Rangers’ top ninth-inning option after spending spring training competing for the fifth starter spot that went to Kumar Rocker.

Rocker recognizes just what Latz brings to the staff and, without saying it, made the lefty’s case for an All-Star Game berth next month in Philadelphia.

“The moxie that guy has on the mound is incredible, he's just incredible,” Rocker said to MLB.com during the Kansas City trip.

Jacob Latz, All-Star?

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Latz throws a baseball. — Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Latz. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Texas sent a reliever to the All-Star Game as recently as 2024 when Kirby Yates earned a nod. Yates was having a resurgent season with the Rangers as their closer. By the All-Star break Yates was 3-0 with 10 saves and two holds. He had a 1.11 ERA in 24 games with 32 strikeouts and 12 walks in 24.1 innings. He was the typical ninth-inning closer.

Latz is anything but typical. A former starter who was converted into a long reliever in the minors, he’s been an everyman for the Rangers since made his MLB debut in 2021. He has made just 10 starts in his 108 appearances but emerged as a spot star option for Texas last season due to injuries to Tyler Mahle and Nathan Eovaldi. His performance as a swing starter got him into the rotation mix this spring, to the point where the Rangers saved him a bullpen role if he didn’t make it.

Latz’s first appearance this season was a start in place of Jacob deGrom, who came up with neck stiffness for his first start. Latz dealt four scoreless innings. He then went back to a long relief role. Texas turned to him as a closer for the first time on April 16 against the Athletics. He blew a save. It was auspicious start.

Since then, he’s closed 10 games, lost another save, and won two games. Before Thursday’s win, he claimed a save the night before. Because he’s stretched out, he gives the Rangers more flexibility than a traditional closer. He’s pitched multiple innings in five of his last 10 games. Schumaker talked about his preference to keep Latz out of those situations during the last homestand.

“We can’t do that to him every single time,” Schumaker said after he used Latz for a two-inning save last Friday against Cleveland. “That’s not healthy for him. He’s been incredible for us this year and we have to protect him.”

Entering the Boston series, Latz is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 25 games (one start), with 33 strikeouts and seven walks in 32 innings. He also has 10 saves. His ERA puts him 23rd among all relievers in baseball. Filter it out to pitchers with at least 30 innings and the only reliever in the AL with a better ERA is Toronto’s Louis Varland, who has a 0.50 ERA and looks like a lock to be on the AL All-Star team.

The only question now is whether Latz will join him?

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