Jacob Latz of the Texas Rangers was named to his first MLB All-Star Game on Saturday, the club's only selection for the American League squad. The 30-year-old left-handed reliever will represent Texas at the July 14 Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Latz captured American League Reliever of the Month honors for June, leading the majors with 11 saves while compiling a 1.13 ERA over 16 innings. He struck out 19 and walked four during the month, and his 11 saves set a Rangers franchise record for saves in a single month.
His overall season line includes a 1.71 ERA, a 0.62 WHIP, and a .120 opponent batting average. Latz leads all of baseball in saves of four-plus outs with nine and saves of two or more innings with five, demonstrating his effectiveness in extended relief appearances.
Manager Skip Schumaker officially named Latz the closer during a late-June series in Toronto, though Latz had been functioning in that capacity since late April. He is the ninth Rangers or Senators reliever to earn an All-Star selection and the first since Kirby Yates in 2024.
Latz also notched three multi-inning saves in June, more than any other MLB pitcher has achieved during the entire 2026 season. Drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round in 2017 out of Kent State, Latz said the moment Schumaker announced the selection and teammates congratulated him was something he would remember forever.
