Texas Rangers pitching prospect Jake Latz struck out six straight hitters during his latest appearance with Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.
The left-hander started a game against Sugar Land and he mowed down six hitters in succession.
Latz doesn’t normally start. In fact, it was his third start in 16 appearances and all three starts were as an "opener," with Latz going no more than two innings.
The six strikeouts was a season high for Latz. He previously fanned five hitters against Albuquerque on April 30.
Latz, 27, has been a long-time farmhand for the Rangers, drafted in the fifth round in 2017. He has spent the equivalent of two seasons at Round Rock, getting promoted to Triple-A during the 2021 season.
While not among the Rangers’ Top 30 prospects as ranked by MLB.com, Latz is emerging as a potential bullpen option if the Rangers need one. While he is 1-2 with a 8.20 ERA, Latz has a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio (34 to 9) this season.
His case is also bolstered by the debut of Grant Anderson, who was at Round Rock before the Rangers called him up earlier this week. Anderson struck out seven Detroit Tigers, including the first four hitters he faced, and go the win in the Rangers’ 10-6 victory.
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