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Top 10 Player Profiles of 2014: No. 9 Jake Latz

December 19, 2014

By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

Over the next couple weeks we are going to countdown the 2014 calendar year with a look at the top ten viewed player profiles of 2014. After drilling down into our google analytics we have compiled a list of the ten most visited profiles by you the reader in 2014.

No. 9 Jake Latz

Jake LatzLemont’s Jake Latz capped a storybook senior season with a 3A State Championship and was named Prep Baseball Report’s 2014 Illinois Player of the Year. Latz became the first pitcher-only to be named PBR's Player of the Year.

In 62.1 innings, Latz struck out 114 and walked only 12. He allowed only two earned runs and 29 hits all season, and finished with a 0.66 WHIP.

In Lemont’s instant classic 2-1, two-out, walk-off victory over Sacred Heart-Griffin in the state title game, Latz threw a three-hitter, walking three, striking out eleven.

After his incredible year, the current LSU freshman was drafted in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Latz should prove to be a mainstay in LSU’s pitching rotation over the next three seasons, at the conclusion of which he will once again be eligible for the MLB Draft.

Let’s take a look at Latz’s scouting report from his complete game playoff victory in the Regional Championship against Lincoln-Way West:

Jake Latz Scouting Report

6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. Room to get stronger, but already a pro build. Works from third base side of the rubber. Over the winter, Latz was throwing a bit across his body, with his stride direction falling towards first base, and landing slightly closed at times. It cut his hips off and affected his command in bullpens, where he would lose pitches to his arm side at times. On Saturday this was no longer an issue. He’s cleaned up his delivery and direction towards home. His delivery out of the windup shows smooth tempo throughout, and cleaning up his lower half seemed to give him even better extension out front, giving him the ability to manipulate the baseball, especially with his off speed.He rocks back over the rubber and loads well on his backside before driving towards home. His arm action is clean and fluid throughout, showing the ability to overthrow late in the count, but still maintain command. Latz dominated Lincoln-Way West after giving up his first earned runs of the year in the second inning. From the fourth to the seventh he struck out 10 of 13 batters faced, allowing only one single. His fastball sat mostly 89-91 in the first, sprinkling in a few at 87-88. He came out possibly overthrowing a bit, leaving some pitches up, but after they regained the lead he settled down in the 86-88 range for the duration of the game. Every inning when he needed it, he reached back for 89-90 especially in two strike counts. His fastball stays true to his glove side, and shows some run to his arm side, but even when it stays straight at the lower end of his velocity range it has late life and gets on hitters quick. His curveball improved as the game went along as well. Early on it was 77-78 and he spiked it a few times. It actually showed better shape and two-plane break in the later innings at 73-76. What really set Latz apart today was 78-80 mph changeup. He hasn’t needed to use it much this year, but after the third he threw it around 8-10 times, inducing weak contact, and a few swings and misses. The pitch was thrown with identical arm speed as his fastball, and has late arm side run with nasty downward action at times. With all three pitches working hitter’s didn’t have a chance.  Latz had two three pitch sequences in the sixth that were unfair. To one hitter he went 89 fastball, 77 swing and miss change down, and 90 for the strikeout up. Another he went 86 fastball, 78 swing and miss change down, 74 down and in curveball to a right handed hitter for the strikeout. He struck out four in the seventh thanks to a 2-strike curveball bouncing away, and his last fastball of the game registered 89 for his 13th and final strikeout. He threw 79 of 107 pitches for strikes (74%), and threw first pitch strikes to 20 of 28 hitters. On a pro scouting scale right now, he shows below average to average fastball velocity (possibly closer to average due to him being left handed) and two secondary offerings that are above average right now flashing plus. Two changeups that produced swings and misses had late screwball action that definitely were plus. The last four frames were the most dominant and impressive pitching performance I’ve witnessed in Illinois this season, it was a pleasure to watch. His performances of late may leave him with a tough decision after Thursday’s MLB draft.

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