Jacob Eugene Latz…sat out the 2017 season at Kent State after transferring from Louisiana State…did not pitch for the Golden Flashes, but was enrolled in the school at the time of his selection by Texas in the fifth round of that year’s draft…was LSU’s starting pitcher in the championship game of the NCAA Regional against Rice…graduated from Lemont (Ill.) High School and was named the 2014 Illinois Player of the Year after recording 114 strikeouts in 62.1 innings during his senior season…was also selected by the TOR in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, but did not sign…his father, Jeff, played basketball at Angelo State…enjoys playing golf and traveling in his free time.
2024
Made Texas’ Opening Day roster for first time in his career and appeared in a career-high 46 games (all relief), the most by a Rangers southpaw and fourth-most by any Texas hurler (Robertson – 68, Leclerc – 64, Yates – 61)…went 2-3 with a 3.71 ERA (18 ER/43.2 IP), 40 strikeouts, and a .241 (39-162) opponent’s batting avg. as a set-up man, making the majority of his appearances in the seventh (18 games) and sixth innings (16 games)…started season with seven straight scoreless outings (8.2 IP, 3/31-4/13), also compiling scoreless streaks of seven games (4/23-5/8, 6.2 IP) and eight games (6/1-6/22, 7.0 IP) with Texas… recorded first career win 5/26 at MIN and second career victory 6/12 at LAD, tossing season-high-tying 2.0 shutout frames in both games…his nine holds ranked third among TEX relievers (Robertson – 34, Leclerc – 13)…33 of 46 appearances were scoreless; had 12 outings of 1.1+ innings pitched…LHB hit .246 (17-69) off Latz while RHB batted .237 (22-93)…Five of the six HR against Latz were by right-handed bats…fired 11.1 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts in 10 games vs. A.L. West opponents, becoming first TEX pitcher to log 10+ games vs. A.L. West without allowing run in club history (beg. 1972)…permitted 16 of his 36 inherited runners to score (44.4%), 2nd-highest IR scored pct. among qualified A.L. relievers to only SEA’s Trent Thornton (48.5%)…remained on Rangers active roster until he was placed on the 15-day Injured List with left forearm tightness on 8/4… was activated and subsequently optioned to Round Rock (AAA) on 9/18 following seven rehab appearances between Double-A Frisco (four games) and the Express (three games)…made lone start of campaign on 9/20 at TAC (2.0 IP, 0 R), combining to go 2-0, 6.30 ERA (7 ER/10.0 IP) in eight MiLB appearances/one start.
2023
Totaled 6.1 SHO IP (1 H, 3 BB, 5 SO) over three relief appearances for the Rangers in 2023…had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock on 9/16 and made first ML app. of season on 9/17 at CLE…signaled the lefty’s first big league action since making Major League debut on 8/25/21 at CLE (753 days between app.), with both games taking place at Cleveland’s Progressive Field…posted scoreless outing on 9/26 at LAA (2.1 IP, 2 SO) before being optioned back to Round Rock on 9/27…was recalled once more on 9/29 to make final big league appearance at SEA (2.0 IP, 2 SO) ahead of season-ending option on 9/30…Texas trailed by eight runs in all three contests at the time of his entrance.
2022
Spent the entire season with Round Rock (AAA), posting a 5-5 record and 5.77 ERA (34 ER/53.0 IP) over 19 G/10 GS... transitioned to a relief role later in the summer after 10 of his first 11 outings were starts...went 3-5, 5.72 ERA (25 ER/39.1 IP) as a starter and 2-0, 5.93 ERA (9 ER/13.2 IP) in relief...had a higher SO/9 figure in starts (10.5) than as a reliever (8.6)...missed nearly three months on the Injured List (6/15-9/5) while dealing with a shoulder impingement.
2021
Added to the Rangers’ active roster as a replacement player from Round Rock on 8/25 after Dane Dunning was placed on the COVID-19 Related Injured List… made his Major League debut as the starting pitcher that night at CLE (L, 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R-ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3 HR), his only Major League outing to date…the 3 HR allowed tied the club record for a ML debut (6th time)…returned to Round Rock on 8/30. MINORS IN 2021: Combined to go 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA (46 ER/96.1 IP) and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings over 22 games/19 starts for Round Rock and Frisco, establishing a new career-high for innings pitched, strikeouts (119), games, and starts… ranked among Texas organizational leaders in innings (T2nd) and strikeouts (3rd)…began the year with Frisco and received a promotion to Round Rock on 8/10…spent the remainder of the campaign with the Express outside of his brief Major League stint, going 1-1, 2.25 (6 ER/24.0 IP) with a .195 opp. BA over his final 5 starts after being returned to Triple-A.
2020
Was not included on initial 60-man Club Player Pool roster at the outset of Summer Camp…in August, made six appearances for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Constellation Energy League: 2-1, 4.35 ERA (five ER/10.1 IP) in 6 G/2 GS, 10 BB/15 SO, one HR, .118 opp. BA…Skeeters were managed by former Ranger Pete Incaviglia…was later added to Texas’ 60-man Club Player Pool on 9/4 and participated in the team’s Alternate Training Site activities through the end of the regular season…was not part of team’s fall development camp.
2019
Combined to go 7-1, 1.62 (11 ER/61.0 IP) in 13 G/ GS for Down East (High-A) and Hickory (A) before an elbow injury ended his season…was on injured list from 6/23-end of season with a left elbow sprain…ranked among Carolina League leaders (min. 50 IP) in opp. BA (1st, .157), WHIP (2nd, 0.98), ERA (3rd, 1.76)…opened season with 2 starts at Hickory (2-0, 10.0 IP, 2 R-1 ER, 3 BB, 14 SO) and was promoted for High-A debut on 4/17 at Salem (3.0 IP, 1 R-0 ER)…over final seven starts with Wood Ducks before his injury: 5-0, 0.48 (2 ER/37.2 IP), 12 BB/45 SO, .130/.204/.220/.424 opp. slash…named CL Pitcher of the Week for 5/27-6/2 and earned Texas’ internal Starter of the Month award for May.
2018
With Spokane (Short Season A), ranked among Northwest League leaders in wins (T2nd, 6), strikeouts (4th, 67), WHIP (7th, 1.23), and ERA (8th, 3.93)...held opponents to a .232/.303/.339/.643 slash line...was 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA (8 ER/35.1 IP) and 36 SO/11 BB over final six starts, including season-best 11 SO over 5.2 SHO IP in final start of regular season on 9/1 vs. Vancouver…named NWL Pitcher of the Week for 8/27-9/2…took loss in his only postseason start, semifinals Game 2 vs. Everett.
