Minnesota Twins Talented Reliever Adds New Pitch To Repertoire

He had a breakout season in 2022.

Minnesota Twins' reliever Griffin Jax has introduced a new pitch to his arsenal, a cutter, which he developed during the offseason at Driveline, a data-driven performance center.

Jax, who thrived as a setup man last season, is looking to use the cutter as a rare change-of-pace pitch to complement his already impressive slider, which held opponents to a .187 batting average against in 2022.

Griffin Jax had a breakout season in 2022 pitching out of the #MNTwins bullpen.

65 games
72.1 innings
3.36 ERA
1.051 WHIP
9.7 K/9
.607 opponent OPS
1 save

And he did it after posting a 23.63 ERA during spring training! pic.twitter.com/a323RLK92G

— Twins Gems (@TwinsGems) February 27, 2023

Following a breakout season in 2022, during which he posted a 3.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts across 72.1 innings pitched, Jax focused on honing his craft during the offseason.

With the stress of job uncertainty off his shoulders, the 28-year-old took the opportunity to train at Driveline, perfecting his craft and experimenting with his new pitch.

The twenty eight-year-old's dedication paid off as he threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout and a walk in his spring debut on Monday. 

Jax has quickly become one of the Twins' most important bullpen arms and, with his new cutter in his repertoire, he should continue to be a reliable source of holds and possibly even saves for the Twins this season. Photo Credit:  Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports