Arlington, Texas — Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher Jacob Latz has been named the American League Reliever of the Month for June, it was announced this morning on MLB Network. Latz is the first Ranger to claim the honor since MLB began awarding league Reliever of the Month distinctions in 2017.
The 30-year-old Latz converted all 11 save chances last month, recording a 1.13 ERA (2 ER/16.0 IP) with 6 hits allowed, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts, a 0.63 WHIP figure, and a .113 (6-53) opponent average in 12 June appearances. The left-hander logged 6 outings of 1.1-or-more scoreless innings, including 3 saves of 2.0 innings pitched in June, more than any pitcher has registered during the entire 2026 season. Latz’s only blemish on his ledger last month was a 2-run home run from Kazuma Okamoto on June 25 at Toronto, an outing in which he still finished the game and booked a save.
His 11 saves led the Majors in June, 2 more than any other pitcher (Toronto’s Louis Varland and Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran each had 9 saves). Latz is one of only 2 A.L. relievers to collect 11 saves in a single month over the last three seasons since 2024 – Cleveland’s Cade Smith earned 13 saves in May of 2026. The southpaw became the 3rd A.L. pitcher since saves were first tracked in 1969 to post 11-or-more saves, 19-or-more strikeouts, 6-or-fewer hits, and 4-or-fewer walks in any month, joining New York-AL’s Aroldis Chapman in June 2018 and Seattle’s J.J. Putz in June 2007.
Among A.L. pitchers with 50-or-more batters faced in June, Latz paced the circuit in opponent OPS (.364) and ranked highly in opponent OBP (2nd, .175), opponent average (3rd), opponent slugging (3rd, .189), hits per 9.0 innings (3rd, 3.38), baserunners per 9.0 innings (3rd, 5.63), WHIP (4th), and fielding-independent pitching (10th, 2.32).
Latz, who was also unanimously selected as the Rangers Player of the Month for June, matched a Washington/Texas franchise record for saves in a single month, equaling Joe Nathan in June 2013, Jeff Zimmerman in July 2001, and John Wetteland in May 2000. Nathan and Latz are the only pitchers in team history with 11 saves and no blown saves in a month. Latz is the first Rangers player to earn an MLB monthly honor since right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was tabbed as A.L. Pitcher of the Month in July 2025.
On the season, Latz is 1-1 with 18 saves, a 1.71 ERA (8 ER/42.0 IP), a 0.62 WHIP figure, .120 opponent average (17-142), and 43 strikeouts in 33 games (one start). The MLB leader in saves of 1.1+ innings (9) and 2.0+ innings (5), Latz has accrued a team-high 1.9 baseball-reference wins above replacement, the 2nd-highest mark by an A.L. reliever to Toronto’s Louis Varland (2.7).
– RANGERS –