Down on the farm: A look at Texas Rangers lefty Jake Latz

Welcome to Down on the Farm, a deep dive into the hidden gems that fans may or may not know within the Texas Rangers’ minor league ranks. We begin with LHP Jake Latz.

Jake Latz may be an unfamiliar name to many casual Texas Rangers fans, but the rapid progression in his development will inevitably make him a Top-30 prospect very soon.

A Lemont, Illinois native, Jake Latz attended Lemont High and was soon drafted in the 11th round of the 2014 Amateur Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Latz turned down that draft offer and elected to go to LSU, and later transferred to Kent State. The former Golden Eagle only threw 8.1 innings over his three years in college.

Even with a very small sample size, the Texas Rangers drafted him in the 5th Round of the 2017 Amateur Draft. Latz was the type of high-risk, high-reward player that Texas typically likes to take.

Since joining the Texas Rangers organization, the left-handed Latz has only improved, managing to reach High-A Down East in just three seasons.

2019 proved to be Latz’s best season to date, sporting a combined 1.62 ERA between Low-A Hickory and Down East, striking out 74 batters in 61 innings pitched.

The 6’2 southpaw features a fastball that sits in the low to mid 90s, a curveball, changeup and a wipeout slider.

He also does not allow the ball to leave the yard, only giving up six homers over the course of his MiLB career.

While Latz has been oft-injured over the course of his career, he puts up big numbers when healthy.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the Minor Leagues in 2020, Latz was not given an opportunity to pitch within the Texas Rangers’ organization.

However, the young lefty did pitch for the now Triple-A affiliate of the Astros, the Sugar Land Skeeters.

In six games for Sugar Land, then an Independent League franchise, he posted a 4.35 ERA and struck out 15 over 10.1 innings.

While his numbers may not have been not eye-opening, his time with the Skeeters was merely a ramp up for Latz.

As a result, the Rangers invited him to their alternate training site at the end of the 2020 season.

He was also eligible for the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, but was not selected and will need to be protected again next off-season.

Latz projects similarly to lefty John King, who made his MLB debut in 2020, and could be used as a long reliever or a back-of-the-rotation starter.

I project Latz to make his debut late in 2021 if he has a good upcoming season in Double-A Frisco, or in 2022 should he struggle or fail to stay healthy.

Regardless, Jake Latz could become a staple in the Texas Rangers’ rotation for years to come.