Rays Pitching Project With Ace Potential Is Ready To Launch
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A piece of news flew under the radar this past week amid the Tampa Bay Rays' flurry of wins lately.
Top reliever and return in the Taj Bradley trade from the Minnesota Twins, Griffin Jax, is reportedly transitioning to a starter's workload. This is both necessary due to the newest injury news yet surprising in that Jax was picked for the increased responsibility.
The crushing news that Ryan Pepiot would miss the season due to hip surgery ends the questions around his possible return. It’s a disappointing turn of events for the young starter who has done nothing but progress in his time in a Rays uniform.
Other arms have dealt with issues, as Joe Boyle’s right elbow strain is keeping him from coming back until early June. Those paired with the always-present reality that Shane McClanahan will need to be limited in innings in his slow buildup from a two-year absence have created an innings void.
Can Griffin Jax succeed as a starter with the Rays?
The surprise in all of this is that Jax gets the nod to step up into an increased usage role. Swingmen Jesse Scholtens and Ian Seymour have experience filling in for innings and looked like natural candidates to fill in, but now another name will enter the mix. So, let’s dive into the logic and metrics that suggest how the at times elite reliever can evolve his game.
To understand Jax’s selection for this uptick in workload, his past numbers need to be analyzed. The key point of reference for the Rays is his 2024 season, which put his name on the map as one of the game's best relievers. Even with that year sandwiched between mediocre seasons, it’s no secret that Jax has the top-end stuff and command to sit hitters down at a higher clip than most.
That 2024 season saw Jax use a deadly three-pitch mix to post a 2.6 fWAR, second highest in all of baseball, only 0.1 behind Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians.
Posting better numbers than the likes of Mason Miller quickly launched his name to relevance, making him an attractive trade piece when the Twins were tearing up their roster. The Rays swooped in, selling low on the often frustrating arm of Bradley to land two and a half years of Jax.
Yesterday, for the first time in over 3 years, Griffin Jax pitched more than 2 innings in a game.
— Rays Metrics (@RaysMetrics) April 27, 2026
He brought back his cutter (🎥) for the first time this year and upped the changeup usage. Scrapped the curve too. A new role, a new mix, and a much needed fresh start for Jax. pic.twitter.com/OxlH28g9Cp
Though they’ve utilized him as a reliever in Tampa Bay, perhaps there was an alternate plan all along to shift Jax to this role. The Rays' front office is intentional when it comes to all their moves.
Trades and roster construction, outsiders view as tinkering, is usually seen as an opportunity for marginal additional value. It’s what separates the Rays from others and how it could’ve led to trading for a reliever with ace-like stuff.
That previously mentioned three-pitch mix goes toe to toe with several elite starters who use similar weapons. It’s the sweeper, clocking in at a ridiculous 3000+ RPM, that serves as his bread and butter.
Almost deGrom-like in the way it moves, the high spin sweeper plays like a traditional slider but with extra bite, while also clocking in around 90 mph. When paired with a high 90s four seamer and a hard sinking changeup, it’s easy to see how he pitched as a top-five reliever in baseball not too long ago.
Griffin Jax has faith in Rays to make role change
Now the challenge will be increasing the workload. To this task, Jax has already answered, owing a lot of his faith in the process to pitching coach Kyle Snyder and the brilliant work the Rays' research and development team does for their arms.
“Kyle Snyder’s the best pitching coach in the major leagues. So when the conversation got brought up, it was a pretty easy decision for me, just knowing that this was the right place to do it,” Jax said, via Adam Berry of MLB.com.
That total buy-in from Jax, paired with the storied success of reliever-to-starter transitions, positions Jax to thrive in this role.
Teams around the league have been put on notice by names like Garrett Crochet and Michael King reinventing themselves into aces, and this move by Tampa Bay could be the next one to fall into line with those top pitchers.
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Sam Hougham is an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara, who earned his degree in Communication. He is a passionate baseball writer and researcher who began his career at Diamond Digest, a platform for up-and-coming voices in baseball writing. Since then, he has launched his own website, The Daily Lineup Card, where he publishes long-form analytical pieces focused on scouting, drafting, and team analysis. A lifelong Tampa Bay Rays fan, Sam’s other sports interests include Aston Villa FC and the English Premier League, the NHL, and the NFL. You can follow him on X, @samuelhougham, or reach him via email at samhougham791@gmail.com.