Jacob Latz Sets Rangers Franchise Record With No-Hit Start to the Season

The 30-year-old left-hander has not allowed a hit in his first five appearances this year.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:51pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball pitcher's delivery, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the motion and energy of the sport.Latz's dominant start to the season has the Rangers' pitching staff firing on all cylinders.Houston Today

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Latz has set a franchise record by not allowing a hit in his first five appearances to start the 2026 season. Latz, who turned 30 on Wednesday, has retired 28 straight batters, one more than the previous record held by Yu Darvish in 2013. Latz has made four relief appearances and one spot start so far this season, filling in when two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom was a late scratch due to neck stiffness.

Why it matters

Latz's historic start is a bright spot for the Rangers, who have a deep and talented starting rotation featuring deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and offseason acquisition MacKenzie Gore. Latz's ability to contribute both as a starter and reliever gives the Rangers added flexibility and depth as they aim to contend in the AL West.

The details

In his latest outing on Tuesday, Latz retired all six batters he faced over two innings in the Rangers' 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. Overall, Latz has not allowed a hit in 9 innings pitched this season, striking out 10 batters. The previous franchise record for consecutive hitless batters to start a season was 27, set by Yu Darvish in 2013.

  • Latz retired all 6 batters he faced over 2 innings in the Rangers' 3-2 win over Seattle on Tuesday night.
  • Latz made a spot start earlier this season when 2-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom was a late scratch due to neck stiffness.
  • Latz turned 30 years old on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

The players

Jacob Latz

A 30-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers who has not allowed a hit in his first 5 appearances to start the 2026 season, setting a new franchise record.

Yu Darvish

A former Texas Rangers pitcher who previously held the franchise record for consecutive hitless batters to start a season, retiring the first 26 batters he faced in 2013.

Skip Schumaker

The new manager of the Texas Rangers, who said the team plans to use Latz in valuable situations despite having a full starting rotation.

Jacob deGrom

A two-time Cy Young Award winner who was a late scratch for the Rangers earlier this season due to neck stiffness, leading to Latz making a spot start.

Nathan Eovaldi

A starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers who is part of their deep and talented rotation.

MacKenzie Gore

A starting pitcher acquired by the Texas Rangers in the offseason, adding to their deep rotation.

Kumar Rocker

A young starting pitcher in the Texas Rangers' system.

Jeff Leiter

A young starting pitcher in the Texas Rangers' system.

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What they’re saying

“We knew he was going to be on the team, we just didn't know what role it was going to be. We still think he can be a starter. I mean there's no doubt at it, but the way our roster was looking like and being constructed, we were going to use him in very valuable situations.”

— Skip Schumaker, Texas Rangers Manager

What’s next

The Rangers will continue to monitor Latz's performance and determine if he can earn a permanent spot in their starting rotation, especially with the recent neck injury to ace Jacob deGrom.

The takeaway

Latz's historic start to the season has been a pleasant surprise for the Rangers, who have a deep and talented pitching staff. His ability to contribute as both a starter and reliever gives the team added flexibility as they aim to contend in the AL West. Latz's performance could earn him a more prominent role in the rotation going forward.