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Minnesota Twins have active military in minor leagues

By Benjamin Chase

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 03: The Minnesota Twins line up with members of the military in a pregame ceremony before the game against the Texas Rangers on July 3, 2016 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 03: The Minnesota Twins line up with members of the military in a pregame ceremony before the game against the Texas Rangers on July 3, 2016 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JULY 03: The Minnesota Twins line up with members of the military in a pregame ceremony before the game against the Texas Rangers on July 3, 2016 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JULY 03: The Minnesota Twins line up with members of the military in a pregame ceremony before the game against the Texas Rangers on July 3, 2016 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

On Veteran’s Day, we honor those willing to sacrifice to serve, and the Minnesota Twins have an active military member within their minor league system.

The Minnesota Twins have maintained a positive relationship with military over the years through numerous outreaches and partnerships with local groups. However, Griffin Jax has brought that partnership more personal for the club.

Jax’s background

The son of former NFL linebacker Garth Jax, Griffin grew up with plenty of natural athletic ability, being drafted in the 12th round in 2013 by the Phillies straight out of high school, but he had made the commitment to join the Air Force Academy, and he stuck to that commitment.

In 2016, the Twins drafted Jax with their third round pick. He made just four appearances for Elizabethton before having to return to school, posting a 4.15 ERA and a 1/8 BB/K over 8 2/3 innings in his short time in Elizabethton.

After the U.S. Defense Department had put forth a policy in 2016 allowing athletes at military schools to go directly to professional sports, allowing them to delay their military commitment. However, an early act of the new White House administration rescinded that policy, enforcing a two-year military commitment before the player is allowed to compete in his chosen sport as a professional.

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While that affected multiple players who hoped to be drafted in 2017, it certainly affected Jax, who had been drafted by the Twins with the expectation that he would be able to join the team after his graduation in May and be part of the organization from that point until he was finished with his baseball career, at which point, he would fulfill his military commitment.

Jax, to his credit, has been publicly focused on serving his time with the Air Force without complaint, and he focused on doing what he could during a 60-day time of leave this summer with the Twins, when he threw at Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids, making 5 starts, throwing 31 innings, allowing a 2.61 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 7/20 BB/K ratio. He was given a standing ovation on his last game with Cedar Rapids in a very classy move by his manager, pulling him with 2 outs in the 7th inning to ensure he got the acknowledgement.

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We at Puckett’s Pond covered Jax while he was with Cedar Rapids in a scouting report, and he is certainly a legit prospect, ranking #39 overall on the top 100 Twins prospects list this fall.

Thank you for your service, Griffin, and thank you all who have offered your service to this country!

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