ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob Latz went to spring training with the Rangers competing for a spot in their rotation. He instead became an All-Star closer, even after his first appearance for Texas this season was as a starter and he didn’t have a save until late April.
Latz is the only Rangers player named to the American League All-Star team for Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia. That is also where they opened the season, and he threw four no-hit innings while starting their second game on March 28, only after two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was a late scratch because of neck stiffness.
This season has certainly been an unexpected twist for the 30-year-old left-hander who has longed to be a big league starter. He is excelling in a first-time role, with 18 saves in 20 opportunities and a 1.71 ERA in 33 games.
“When I didn’t get the starting role ... I was hurt in the moment, for sure,” Latz said. “But I knew that there were good things ahead because of the work I put in during the offseason. I didn’t know it would show up this way.”
That spot start for Latz in Philadelphia came only days after being told he didn’t make the rotation. He instead went into a bullen without a designated closer, and he didn’t get his first save until April 25.
Latz was named AL reliever of the month in June after his 11 saves set a franchise record for the most in any single month. His other appearance in June was a perfect ninth inning in a game that went to extra innings.
His only save in the big leagues before this year was pitching the final three innings of a 10-2 win over Baltimore last season, when as a swingman he started eight of his 33 games.
“He’s always super even-keeled. ... The qualities to be a closer, the temperament, the mound presence and the stuff, he’s got all of those,” first-year Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I still think he could be a really good starter. That’s how good he is. I have no idea what his future’s going to look like, but having All-Star on his resume no matter what is pretty sweet.”
Schumaker, an adviser for Texas last year, and Latz met for lunch in California during the offseason to talk about what the pitcher needed to do to prepare to compete for a rotation spot.
They had what Schumaker called “a really challenging conversation” late in spring training. Latz responded that he wanted to pitch high-leverage innings.
“You earn those innings, you’re not just given those innings. He absolutely earned it two, three weeks into the season,” Schumaker said. “Long story short, that conversation in the offseason at lunch was amazing, then disappointment, then back to amazing.”
Latz has five saves when pitching two innings, and his MLB-leading nine saves getting at least four outs are the most for a Rangers pitcher since Francisco Cordero had nine the entire 2004 season.
“This is a player who has developed a little bit later in his career, but it’s not for a lack of determination and work ethic. This guy is as committed as anybody I’ve seen in the game, and he’s not afraid of the moment,” said Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young, a former big league pitcher.
Texas took Latz in the seventh round of the 2017 draft after he pitched only 8 1/3 innings over three college seasons. He missed his freshman season at LSU in 2015 because of a stress reaction in his left elbow that required surgery, then pitched in only seven games in 2016. He then went to Kent State but was unable to play there because of NCAA transfer rules.
Latz made his big league debut by starting his only game for the Rangers in 2021 before the transition to the bullpen. He didn’t pitch in the majors again until three relief appearances in 2023, and he made 46 more the following season.
“Just incremental steps along the way. It was a tough climb to get back from my college career to where we are at right now,” he said. “Little by little, I tried to solidify myself as a major league player, and last year was a big step forward, just growing the confidence. It wasn’t truly linear, but learned a lot along the way. And I think it definitely makes it a little more meaningful doing it this way.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
