Griffin Jax Fantasy Stats

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax will make the start for the Rays on Thursday against the Red Sox in Boston, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. This will be Jax's third straight "start" for Tampa. The Rays could potentially be looking to stretch Jax out as a traditional starting option after left-hander Steven Matz (elbow) landed on the injured list on Tuesday, but for Thursday's outing in Beantown, Jax most likely won't go deep enough in the ballgame to be a worthwhile streaming option for fantasy managers. In his last two opening assignments, Jax has tossed five shutout innings with two hits allowed, two walks, and four strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants. The 31-year-old veteran opened the year as Tampa's go-to closer with Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the shelf, but he struggled in that role and was demoted quickly. Overall, he has a 5.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 14:9 K:BB in 14 innings over 13 outings (two starts) in 2026. If Jax continues to get stretched out as a starter, he'll be worth a look off the waiver wire in deeper leagues for fantasy managers in need of rotation depth. Jax is rostered in 25% of Yahoo leagues currently.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Griffin Jax got off to a disastrous start to the 2026 season, allowing five earned runs across his first four outings (two innings pitched). The 31-year-old has stabilized his numbers to some degree since then, posting scoreless outings in five out of his last seven appearances. Still, Jax owns an 8.00 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP across nine innings pitched on the year. Jax's strikeout rate is down from 35% to 22.7%, while his 15.9% walk rate is more than double his 7.4% rate from 2025. The Rays' closer job remains largely up for grabs with the news that reliever Edwin Uceta (shoulder) experienced a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury. Jax could eventually work his way back into the ninth-inning mix, but his early-season struggles make him very difficult for fantasy managers to rely on with any degree of confidence.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Griffin Jax has gotten off to a nightmare start to the 2026 season. Across two innings (four games), the 31-year-old has allowed five hits, five earned runs, and two walks while recording just one strikeout. With fellow Rays right-hander Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the injured list, Jax opened the year with a chance to emerge as Tampa Bay's preferred ninth-inning option. However, Jax has already blown two saves and may have pitched his way out of high-leverage opportunities. Jax has posted K-BB rates north of 27% in each of the last two seasons, so he has upside if he can settle in and find his prior form. Still, fantasy managers should be aggressive in search for other relief options off the waiver wire, given Jax's poor performance thus far. Rays relievers Bryan Baker and Garrett Cleavinger look like the favorites for saves in Tampa Bay until Uceta returns.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Griffin Jax got pummeled by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, allowing three hits and five runs (three earned) without recording an out in his team's 8-2 defeat. Jax is off to a brutal start to 2026, as he's allowed five earned runs while recording just one strikeout across two innings of work in three appearances. With fellow Rays reliever Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the injured list, Jax looked like the favorite to see the majority of the ninth-inning work in Tampa Bay. However, the 31-year-old has already blown two saves, and his overall ineffectiveness is clearly a concern for fantasy managers. With Jax struggling, Rays relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker could be worth targeting on the waiver wire and rostering until Uceta returns.

Tampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever Griffin Jax has put himself on the closer hot seat early in 2026 after blowing each of his first two save opportunities as he begins his first full year with the team. In Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Jax blew the save and took his first loss of the year after allowing two runs (one earned) on a hit while walking one in just one-third of an inning. The 31-year-old blew the save on Opening Day at Busch Stadium on Thursday and could not get it done on Saturday in the bottom of the 10th inning. Infield prospect JJ Wetherholt delivered the dagger against Jax. The former third-rounder by the Minnesota Twins in 2016 out of Air Force has been manager Kevin Cash's first choice for saves to begin the year, but that could be changing the next time a save situation comes up, with Bryan Baker and Garrett Cleavinger both being options. Edwin Uceta (shoulder) should get ninth-inning duties when he returns from the injured list, and he has the most upside of any Rays high-leverage arm.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Griffin Jax could be the early favorite for the closer role in Tampa Bay once the regular season gets underway. The right-hander was superb for the Twins from 2022 through 2024, but despite an elite 36.4 percent strikeout rate (29.8 percent K-BB%) in 50 appearances for Minnesota in 2025, the 6-foot-2 hurler recorded a 4.50 ERA through the end of July and was shipped to Tampa, where he posted a 3.60 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, while maintaining a strong 31.8 percent strikeout rate. All in all, the former third-round draft pick finished the season with 99 strikeouts in just 66 innings pitched between Minnesota and Tampa Bay, registering 98th percentile or better strikeout, whiff, and chase rates. With Edwin Uceta (shoulder) expected to begin the season on the injured list, Jax's only real competition for the role might come from Garrett Cleavinger, who was fantastic in 2025 as well, but who is a left-hander and may be deployed more opportunistically. Manager Kevin Cash has not committed to any particular reliever just yet, and may end up going for a closer-by-committee approach, but Jax has the prototypical stuff to grab hold of the role and keep it for the entire season, making him an attractive target who is currently being drafted after the likes of Dennis Santana and Ryan Walker.

In 2024, while pitching for the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Griffin Jax emerged as one of the best high-leverage arms in baseball. Jax's performance declined in 2025, as he finished the year with a 4.23 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts across 66 innings split between Minnesota and Tampa Bay. Still, Jax posted an elite 35% strikeout rate, and his ERA improved to a more manageable 3.60 across 23 appearances with the Rays after being acquired mid-season. Heading into 2026, Jax appears to be competing with right-hander Edwin Uceta and left-hander Garrett Cleavinger for the closer job in Tampa Bay. Rays manager Kevin Cash is known for using multiple relievers in the ninth inning, so the most likely scenario is that Jax will not see 100% of the team's save opportunities. However, given his ability to rack up strikeouts, he could be a useful relief option for fantasy managers even if he remains in a part-time closer role. With a current average draft position of pick 233, Jax could ultimately end up providing significant value for managers in the middle rounds of drafts.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot, who was scheduled to start Wednesday's road matchup with the Chicago White Sox, will be scratched due to fatigue. As a result, the Rays will go with a bullpen game, with Griffin Jax now listed as the scheduled opener. Pepiot is having a fine season, pitching to a 3.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 15.9 percent K-BB%, however, he's also at a career-high 163 innings pitched, which is 30 more innings than he logged last season. It's bad timing as the Rays try to make a final push towards the playoffs, but hopefully this rest rejuvenates him for a couple of final starts to end the year. Jax hasn't logged more than an inning all year in 65 appearances, so don't expect him to go longer than that on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Griffin Jax. Jax has spent his entire professional career with the Twins. Jax has typically been deployed in a high-leverage role but has primarily been a setup man for hard-throwing right-hander Jhoan Duran. This season, Jax has posted a 4.50 ERA with a 1.28 WIHP. However, he has flashed immense strike upside, posting an elite 36.4% K rate with a 38.8% whiff rate. Under the hood, Jax carries an impressive 3.11 xERA, which suggests he has gotten a bit unlucky throughout the first half. Last season, Jax was one of the most dominant relievers in the sport, holding a 2.03 ERA with a stellar 0.87 WHIP. In Tampa Bay, fantasy managers should expect Jax to likely operate as the setup man for Pete Fairbanks. However, Jax could occasionally earn save opportunities down the stretch.

USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale writes that the Philadelphia Phillies have been extensively scouting Minnesota Twins relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax and are hoping to acquire at least one of them by the July 31 trade deadline. Nightengale adds that the Twins are drawing strong interest from the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. Duran is having a bounce-back season in 2025 after posting a career-worst 3.64 ERA for the Twins last year. The 27-year-old hard-throwing right-hander has successfully converted each of his last five save chances and enters the All-Star break sporting a career-low 1.66 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, 15 saves, 49 strikeouts and 16 walks in 43 1/3 innings pitched. The Phillies are currently mixing and matching save chances with Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering, but if they acquired Duran, he'd be the unquestioned primary closer.