Foster Griffin #49

Fred Foster Griffin resides in Orlando, Fla...Graduated from The First Academy (Fla.), where he posted a 1.55 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 58.2 innings as a senior…bypassed an opportunity to pitch at Ole Miss by signing with the Royals.

2021

Appeared in 15 games spread across five levels of the Royals minor league system, including six games with Triple-A Omaha, in which he posted a 3.60 ERA in 25.0 innings....Also pitched for the ACL Royals Blue and Gold teams, Class-A Columbia and Double-A Northwest Arkansas....Marked his first action since season-ending Tommy John surgery in 2020.

2020

Made his Major League debut on July 27 in Detroit—his 25th birthday—and pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to earn his first career win...Became the first Royals player (position player or pitcher) to debut in the Majors on his birthday, and the 26th pitcher on any team to make his debut on his birthday, the first since Cleveland’s Shane Bieber on May 31, 2018...He retired five of the six batters he faced (1 reached on an error) in the third and fourth innings when the Royals offense combined for nine runs, to become the third pitcher since at least 1901 to earn the win in his Major League debut on his birthday, joining Edwin Jackson on Sept. 9, 2003 at Arizona and Zach Day on June 15, 2002 at Montreal...Was the 19th Royal to win in his Major League debut, the first since Eric Skoglund (May 30, 2017) and the ninth to do it in relief (last: Scott Bankhead on May 26, 1986)…he exited his debut with a strained left forearm and missed the remainder of the season…was designated for assignment on Dec. 1 and was re-signed to a minor league deal on Dec. 12.

2019

Spent the entire year with Omaha (AAA), going 8-6 with a 5.23 ERA (76 ER in 130.2 IP) …his eight victories tied for fourth most in the organization, while he also ranked sixth in starts, and tied for seventh in innings ... Named a Pacific Coast League postseason All-Star…ranked tied for fourth in the PCL in starts and ninth in innings and strikeouts (111) ... Won five-straight decisions over a seven-start span, between April 18-May 24…during that time, he pitched to a 3.05 ERA (14 ER in 41.1 IP)…bookended the winning streak with a pair of nine-strikeout performances: April 18 at Oklahoma City (5.1 IP) and May 24 vs. Iowa (7.0 IP) ... Also matched a season-high with nine K's on July 20 vs. Memphis, taking a no-decision in a 6-5 Omaha triumph ... Held right-handed batters to a .236 average (95-for-403), which included 92 of his 111 strikeouts.

2018

Spent the entire year with Northwest Arkansas (AA), going 10-12 with a 5.13 ERA (87 ER in 152.2 IP) in 28 outings (26 starts)…led the Texas League in innings, while finishing tied for first in starts, tied for third in wins and ranked fourth in strikeouts (117) ... Selected a mid-season All-Star, but did not pitch in the Texas League All-Star Game ... Had both a seven-start win streak (July 19-Aug. 24) and a six-start losing streak (June 16-July 14).

2017

Split the season between Wilmington (A) and Northwest Arkansas (AA), making a combined 28 starts…posted a 15-7 record with a 3.35 ERA (60 ER in 161.1 IP) with 54 walks and 141 strikeouts...Tabbed Paul Splittorff Royals Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Northwest Arkansas Pitcher of the Year as well as a MiLB.com Organization All-Star... Selected to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Miami…tossed 0.2 innings, collecting one strikeout…also named to the Carolina League All-Star team, but did not participate due to his promotion to Double-A... His 15 overall victories were the most by a Royals' minor league hurler since Jake Odorizzi also won 15 games in 2012... Promoted to Northwest Arkansas for the first time in his career on May 29…tied for second in the Texas League in victories (11), while his ERA (3.61) and WHIP (1.36) would have both ranked in the top 10 if he had enough innings to qualify... Selected Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending June 25…in his two starts during the week, went 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA (1 ER in 12.2 IP), with three walks and 12 strikeouts... Won six-straight decisions between June 9-July 12, a stretch which included six victories and one no-decision in seven starts…during that run, he posted a 2.45 ERA (11 ER in 40.1 IP) to go with 39 strikeouts and just 10 walks... Fanned a career-high 10 hitters over 6.0 innings in his July 1 start vs. Corpus Christi, earning a 6-3 triumph.