Griffin Jax’s path to the Major Leagues has been no ordinary one.
In fact, it’s been quite the opposite.
The Minnesota Twins reliever has quite an interesting resume.
A little-known fact is that prior to his pitching days. the right-hander served as a pilot in the United States Air Force.
He graduated from the Air Force academy before his service.
The right-hander also has a master’s degree in business.
Needless to say, Jax has been on a unique journey.
On Twitter, MLB Players Media posted an interesting video that features the Twins reliever sharing his story and reflecting on his path to the majors.
#MNTwins pitcher Griffin Jax has one of baseball’s most unique resumes.
It made him the pitcher he is today.@Twins | @AF_Academy pic.twitter.com/CRQcJMPSXi
—MLB Players Media (@MLBPlayersMedia) April 18, 2023
Jax said that while pitching in front of thousands of fans is a big step, it’s one that never faced him.
Having served in the Air Force, he became accustomed to flying at fast speeds and jumping out of planes from high altitudes upon deployment.
Jax said that by having that experience and learning to remain calm, pitching in front of fans became the least of his worries.
When COVID-19 canceled the minor league season, Jax decided to complete his MBA.
During lockdown, he checked several classes off his list, but also learned some very valuable lessons.
Jax and his colleagues were building heat maps, but Jax had the idea to create one specific to pitching.
After the creation of his pitching heat map, the right-hander worked very closely with the Twins analytics department to help better understand how to optimize pitching data.
The Twins reliever has certainly learned a lot and it has all led him to be the pitcher he is today.
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