SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In search of finding a better rhythm on the mound, J.T. Ginn dedicated most of his offseason work to pitching out of the windup, and he is utilizing Spring Training as a trial run for the new delivery before deciding if he’ll use it during the regular season.
If the results from his first Cactus League start are any indication, Ginn might have an easy decision on his hands.
Debuting the new windup in Monday’s 6-2 Athletics loss to the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium, Ginn dominated a lineup filled with most of San Francisco’s regulars, whiffing his first three opposing hitters and retiring all six batters he faced across two perfect innings.
“It just helps me get into a rhythm early,” Ginn said of his new windup. “Just find that athleticism instead of starting out in the stretch and being there the whole game. It felt good.”
Ginn began his outing by striking out Luis Arraez, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames -- all swinging -- in order. In the second, he leaned heavily on his sinker-cutter combo to induce three groundouts while facing Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman.
Pitching out of the windup is not a totally new concept for Ginn. He pitched exclusively out of the stretch last season, but prior to that, the right-hander had been working out of a modified windup throughout different points of his Minor League career.
This offseason, Ginn pitched the use of a windup to A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson, who liked the idea. The two collaborated on the new approach over the winter, with Ginn sending Emerson videos for feedback.
“We’re just trying to give him more time to get out there, breathe and relax in the windup,” Emerson said. “It’s an easier position. In the stretch, he would really try to set himself and make sure his feet are grounded. In the windup, you just get the heels on the rubber and go. … He’s flowing a lot better.”
Velocity was also way up on all of Ginn’s pitches, including his sinker, which averaged 96.5 mph Monday (93.4 mph average in 2025) and topped out at 98 mph.
“I like the way it looks,” manager Mark Kotsay said of Ginn’s windup. “He’s been working on it all offseason. For him to come out today against pretty much their starting lineup and do what he did, he should have a lot of confidence. … The stuff looked really sharp.”
Performing somewhat of a swingman role as a starter and reliever for the A’s last season, Ginn clearly fared much better against right-handed hitters, holding them to a .193 batting average (.590 OPS) as opposed to a .340 average (1.046 OPS) vs. lefties.
Ginn is in the mix both for the rotation and bullpen this spring. If he’s going to land a spot in the rotation, he’ll need to have better success against lefties. The A’s believe he can do so with a better mix of his pitches to keep hitters off balance, and Ginn has worked on that by adding a four-seam fastball to his current arsenal, which features a sinker, a cutter, a changeup and a slider.
“The big thing for me is just getting in the zone more,” Ginn said. “I think the four-seam is going to help me do that. Then just refining the cutter and the changeup so those pitches can be in the zone a lot more.”
Jump debuts
After impressing teammates and coaches throughout camp, Gage Jump, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the A’s No. 3 prospect and No. 57 overall, got his first taste of Cactus League action.
Entering in relief of Ginn to begin the bottom of the third inning, Jump pitched himself into a bases-loaded, one-out jam after a couple of soft contact singles. Bearing down in a tight spot, Jump limited the damage to one run, ending the frame by inducing an inning-ending double play against Adames on a 93.7 mph fastball on the outer part of the zone.
“The thing that stood out there is the composure,” Kotsay said. “He executed a pitch when he was in trouble. … For a young man like that to settle down and execute a pitch to get out of the inning, that shows a lot of maturity.”