Latz hoping to leave 'pen behind for rotation spot in 2026

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Jacob Latz has been clear about one thing all offseason and into the spring: He wants to be a starter.

The Rangers have also been clear about something on their end: He’ll have the chance to earn it. This spring, Latz is in competition for the fifth starter spot, along with Kumar Rocker and a number of non-roster invitees like Cal Quantrill, Austin Gomber and Ryan Brasier.

“We're building him up as a starter,” said manager Skip Schumaker. “He's doing great. He's going to continue to start. And he will until we say no, which might not even be this year. We’re gonna watch him, and he's going about it like he should. He's attacking it.”

In his second Cactus League start on Sunday, Latz allowed a two-run homer to Cole Young on a hanging slider in the first inning, before locking in and retiring the final eight batters he faced. He’s allowed two runs in five innings so far this spring.

“I felt good physically,” Latz said. “I felt like my slider was a little off today, a little bit slower, and had more depth on it. It was kind of trying to hold a different shape with it. But other than that, I felt good physically and I liked the way that I progressed throughout the outing.”

In 2025, Latz was a mainstay in the Rangers’ bullpen while also making eight spot starts throughout the season. As a starter, he posted a 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. As a reliever, he put together a 2.93 ERA in 46 innings (25 games).

A fifth-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, Latz had been a starter for the majority of his professional career. In 2023, Rangers player development transitioned him to a bullpen role due to a number of injuries that limited his effectiveness deeper into games.

He made a handful of starts between 2023-24, but none at the big league level.

Because he’s been successful as both a starter and reliever, his positioning at the end of Spring Training no doubt will have a domino effect on the rest of the pitching staff. If Latz ends up as the fifth starter, the Rangers will need another player in the long-man role out of the bullpen.

But that’s not a problem for March 1.

“I think it depends on a number of different things, but his goal, and what we're watching right now is for him to be a starter and to compete for the starting role,” Schumaker said. “That's the best way I can explain it. However that shakes out in three weeks from now will dictate a number of different things, as far as, not only the fifth spot, but who makes it in the bullpen.”

Cauley continues to rake

Cameron Cauley -- the Rangers’ No. 13 prospect, per MLB Pipeline --- is hitting so well this spring that manager Skip Schumaker told reporters, unprompted, to ask about him.

In Sunday's 9-4 win over Seattle, Cauley continued, hitting his first homer of spring off Mariners All-Star Logan Gilbert. Cauley now has a 1.073 OPS in Cactus League play.

“He's been doing the best with the opportunity he's been given,” Schumaker said. “That's what the spring is all about, ‘Are you ready for your opportunity?’ He’s ready, and he's hitting it to all fields with power. He knows who he is as a player. … He's going to will himself into the big leagues and be a big leaguer for a long time if he keeps going like he's going. There's a lot to like about him, and he's got the mentality that he's going to prove someone wrong and I hope he does. I hope he proves me right.”