Griffin Jax #65

James Griffin Jax…Instagram: @young_garth22...is a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve, and is due to be promoted to Captain in May 2021...his wife, Savannah, is an intelligence officer in the Air Force, based out of Moody Air Force Base in Georgia...nine total players have been drafted out of the Academy (Jax was the sixth)…if/when Jax reaches MLB, will be the first Air Force graduate to be drafted and debut...he’s already the first Air Force Academy graduate to play above Single-A....rated the 95th-best prospect entering the 2016 draft by Baseball America...finished his junior season at the U.S. Air Force Academy going 9-2 with a school record 2.05 ERA (105.1 IP, 24 ER), 20 walks and 90 strikeouts in 15 starts...in 2016, was named the Mountain West co-Pitcher of the Year and All-Mountain West First-Team after leading the MWC in ERA, innings, complete games (6) and shutouts (2)...in three seasons with the Falcons went 15-20 with a 4.28 ERA (298.2 IP, 142 ER), 76 walks and 205 strikeouts in 46 appearances (44 starts)...is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Garth Jax, who spent 11 years playing between Arizona and Dallas...was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 12th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft after being named the 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year in Colorado and a Louisville Slugger High School First-Team All-American...went 7-1, 1.74 ERA with 57 strikeouts and two walks as a senior for Cherry Creek High School in 2013.

2020

Did not play an official professional game and was left off the Twins’ 60-man Player Pool...Participated in Twins Fall Instructional League during October in Ft. Myers, FL.

2019

Began season with Double-A Pensacola...named Southern League Pitcher of the Week twice with Blue Wahoos: May 5 (1-0, 0.75 ERA, 12.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and June 30 (1-0, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)...Named Southern League Midseason All-Star...went 2-2, 1.92 ERA (51.2 IP, 11 ER) with 11 walks and 34 strikeouts in 10 starts pre-break...Promoted to Triple-A Rochester August 6 for three starts, going 1-2, 4.50 ERA (16.0 IP, 8 ER) with three walks and 10 strikeouts...Transferred back to Pensacola August 20 and made two starts to finish the season...Combined to go 5-7, 2.90 ERA (127.1 IP, 41 ER) with 27 walks and 94 strikeouts in 23 starts between the two levels...held right-handed batters to a .225 batting average and left-handers to a .264 average...Named best control in Twins minor league system by Baseball America following season.

2018

Spent the season with Single-A Ft. Myers after being activated from the Military List on June 1...allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his first 10 appearances with a 3.41 ERA (60.2 IP, 23 ER)...played for Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, going 1-1, 3.86 ERA (21.0 IP, 9 ER) with 11 walks and 14 strikeouts in six games (5 starts)...following season was named Air Force Academy Male Athlete of the Year

2017

: Made five starts between Rookie-Elizabethton and Single-A Cedar Rapids, combining to go 2-2, 2.61 ERA (31.0 IP, 9 ER) with seven walks and 20 strikeouts...placed on Military List July 26 for remainder of season.

2016

Began professional career with Rookie-Elizabethton, appearing in four games, all in relief, striking out eight in 8.2 innings pitched.