Rangers reliever Latz earns first All-Star nod

ARLINGTON -- Jacob Latz spent all of Spring Training competing to be the fifth starter in the Rangers’ rotation.

When he lost out to Kumar Rocker, Latz decided to become the club’s best reliever instead. So much so that he became the closer -- in all but official title -- in late April. Manager Skip Schumaker finally said the elusive C-word in late June in Toronto, and on Saturday, Latz was named an American League All-Star for the first time in his career.

“It's still a little tough to describe how it feels, but getting the congratulations from a lot of the teammates here, and then Skip announcing it was a really cool moment, and something I'll definitely remember forever,” Latz said. “I don’t think it'll fully hit me until I get there, but to be recognized as one of the better players in baseball is a feeling that you really can't describe. I'm very appreciative of it, and excited to put together another good half.”

Latz, who is the Rangers’ lone All-Star, was selected by the Commissioner’s Office.

Jacob Latz, LHP
Previous All-Star appearances: None
Something to know: Latz is just the ninth Rangers/Senators reliever to make the All-Star team. Kirby Yates was the most recent to do so in 2024.

Latz is the reigning American League Reliever of the Month for June after logging an MLB-high 11 saves with a 1.13 ERA across 16 innings. He had 19 strikeouts to just four walks over that time. He also registered three saves of two or more innings in the month, more than any MLB pitcher has achieved during the entire 2026 season. His 11 June saves is also a franchise record for saves in a single month.

Latz leads MLB in saves of four or more outs (nine) and two or more innings (five). He’s just the second Ranger since 1994 with nine or more saves of four or more outs in a season (Francisco Cordero, nine in 2004).

“I think it really just is a testament to where my mindset is at,” Latz said. “When I didn't get the starting role, I didn't really let it bother me. I was hurt in the moment, for sure. But I knew that there were good things ahead because of the work I put in the offseason. I didn't know it would show up in this way. But I'm really happy that that's where I'm at.”

Entering play on Saturday, Latz’s 1.71 ERA ranked fifth in the AL among pitchers with 30 or more innings. He has held opponents to a .120/.171/.225 slash. That was the lowest in the AL in average, on-base percentage and OPS (.396) for pitchers with 30 or more innings.

This all comes after a 2025 season in which Latz was a mainstay in the Rangers’ bullpen while also making eight spot starts throughout the season, mainly during the final stretch. 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).

“I learned in this that you don't put limits on people,” Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said. “They will show you their ceiling, and I think we're seeing that. This is a player who has developed a little bit later in his career, but it's not for lack of determination or work ethic. This guy is as committed as anybody I've seen in the game, and he's not afraid of the moment. He loves competing, he loves leverage, he loves big moments, loves pressure. It's just fun to watch.

“One of the best aspects of my job is just sitting back and watching these players realize their dream, realize their potential. And when I see Jake Latz go out and do that, it just makes me so happy for him. My hope is that every night we're finding a way to get the ball to him, because it means that we're in a good spot team-wise.”