Driveline Baseball has helped several Twins players improve during recent offseasons, but they are mistaken in suggesting Griffin Jax should return to a starting role.
Baseball is continually evolving, with teams seeking slight advantages over opponents. Recently, converting elite bullpen arms into starting pitchers has become a trend. Players like Jordan Hicks, Garrett Crochet, and Michael King have transitioned with varying success over the past two seasons.
Many relievers, including some on the Twins, were initially starters but moved to relief roles due to performance or injury issues. Some of Minnesota’s best relievers, like Joe Nathan, Glen Perkins, and Taylor Rogers, were once “failed starters.” Transitioning to the bullpen often allows pitchers to increase velocity and limit their pitch selection, improving their effectiveness. Historically, teams did not revert relievers back to starting roles if they were valuable in the bullpen.
Former Twins pitcher Zack Littell, who has transitioned back to a starter, believes others will follow. “You’re starting to see it more and more,” Littell said. “Indicators like throwing strikes, striking out hitters, and not walking many guys suggest some relievers could succeed as starters.”
Why Griffin Jax should be the next reliever to make the successful leap to starting pitcher, featuring Director of Pitching @LanginTots13 🔥👊 pic.twitter.com/faWmZ8w2a0
— Driveline Baseball (@DrivelineBB) June 20, 2024
Griffin Jax is one such “failed starter” who has excelled as a dominant late-inning reliever. Driveline Baseball’s Director of Pitching, Chris Langin, recently advocated for Jax to transition back to a starter. To understand Jax’s potential, it’s crucial to review his starting and bullpen performance.
Jax spent most of his minor league career as a starter, making 56 appearances (50 as a starter), with a 3.24 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 6.8 K/9. However, his major league results as a starter were less impressive, with a 6.10 ERA in 14 games. His K/9 dropped to 7.0, and opponents had an .842 OPS against him. This led to his move to the bullpen.
Unlike many relievers, Jax uses a four-pitch mix rather than focusing on two or three pitches. His most-used pitch is his sweeper (41%), and he’d need to increase his fastball usage (27%) if he returned to starting. In 2024, his fastball has allowed a .171 SLG, but with an xSLG of .400, indicating he might be getting lucky. His increased bullpen velocity suggests mechanical adjustments that might not hold up with a starter’s workload.
Here are the top 10 highest ranking single-pitch tjStuff+ grades from the past week of the 2024 MLB Season. Only pitches which resulted in whiffs or called strikes are shown.
1) Griffin Jax vs Eloy Jimenez
Sweeper
146 tjStuff+ pic.twitter.com/huf9ic3KTe— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) April 29, 2024
Transitioning Jax to a starting role mid-season isn’t feasible, so he’d need to prepare in the offseason. Looking to 2025, every current Twins starter is under contract, and there is additional depth with prospects like Louie Varland, David Festa, Zebby Matthews, Cory Lewis, and Marco Raya. While injuries can affect depth, the Twins seem well-stocked with starters for 2025. For now, Jax should focus on being one of the top relievers without worrying about a switch back to starting.
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