10/23/2026 3:25:00 PM | Baseball
Air Force baseball alum Griffin Jax reflects on his journey to baseball's biggest stage
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., - Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Griffin Jax is making history on baseball's biggest stage, becoming the first Air Force graduate to reach the MLB World Series. The six-year big leaguer reached the MLB World Series after pitching in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), where he started Game 3 against the Cleveland Guardians on Oct. 15.
"It still hasn't hit me, this life is crazy," Jax said.
The six-year big leaguer is a Colorado native, graduating from Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colo. in 2013. He went 7-1 with a 1.74 earned run average (ERA) during his senior season with the Bruins, to earn Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year honors. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the 13th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, but Jax chose to pursue a college education and continue playing baseball at the Air Force Academy instead.
"I really wanted to go to school and pursue college; make sure that I took care of grades and a college education before pursuing professional baseball," Jax said. "But I also wanted to stay close to family. That was a big emphasis for me, just being able to see them as often as possible."
However, the Academy was not always part of Jax's plan.
"I actually told Coach Kaz 'no' the first couple times," Jax said. "Even growing up in Denver, I didn't really know much about the Air Force Academy, I just thought baseball was going to be my path to college and then hopefully into the pros. But then the summer of my junior year, Kaz started reaching out. He started driving down to talk to me and my family, and kept calling…and thank goodness he did because ended up working out."
Jax would go on to have a stellar career in Colorado Springs, highlighted by a junior season where he posted a 9-2 record with a single season program-record 2.05 ERA, striking out 90 batters and walking only 10 in 105.1 innings.
His performance helped propel him to the next level. The Minnesota Twins selected Jax in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft to become the eighth Falcon in program history to be drafted.
After five years in the minor leagues, Jax earned a spot on Minnesota's 40-man roster and received his first major league call-up. On June 8, 2021, he made his MLB debut, becoming the first Air Force graduate to reach the major leagues.
"To think of being one of the first to get drafted and then make it to this point is really cool," Jax said. "I never thought I was going to be that path setter or the person that could say I was the first to do all that stuff, but it's really cool and something I don't take lightly."
Throughout his journey, former Air Force head coach Mike Kazlausky remained one of Jax's most important mentors.
"Of all my coaches throughout my career from travel ball to high school to college to pro ball, Kaz is probably the guy I talk to the most," Jax explained. "He's just such an awesome person, great mentor, and incredible role model to have; not just in baseball, but in life. He's been such a strong figurehead for me in my life. He means so much to that school and to that program. Without him, I would not have gone there, and I would not have made it [to the majors]."
Kazlausky's influence extended beyond the baseball field, shaping Jax's approach to leadership and life.
"He emphasized so much to us what being a leader and what being a man meant," Jax said. "Like I said, we talk pretty much every week. It doesn't even have to be about baseball, it's usually just whatever's going on in life. He's still so involved in my career and my family, and I like to stay in touch with what he's doing and what's going on back at school."
The lessons Jax learned at the Academy proved valuable when his professional career took an unexpected turn. On July 3, 2025, the Minnesota Twins traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays.
"Yeah, it was hard. The Twins had drafted me, and it was really all I knew," Jax said. "But like I said, the Academy taught me how to prepare for that and how to get ready for any sort of adversity, roll with the punches, be cool with it, and use it to your advantage."
Jax also credited his family with providing stability throughout his career. His wife, Savannah, played volleyball at Air Force, where the two met. She later served on active duty, reaching the rank of captain before separating from the Air Force in 2023.
"She's been so helpful in this entire journey," Jax expressed. "In my time in the minor leagues, quality of life isn't awesome. But her unwavering support during that time, just making sure I had what I needed to continue pursuing baseball, I won't forget. So yeah, she's been a huge part of it. She's been there every step of the way."
For current cadets hoping to follow a similar path, the Falcon legend reflected on how his experience at the Academy prepared him to navigate the challenges of professional baseball.
"I fall back on a lot of the mental training that the Air Force Academy did for me," Jax said. "So much of my success and my path to this point just can boil back down to the mental side and the maturity that the Air Force gave me. It's not going to be easy. It's never easy. But if you want it bad enough, if you see yourself doing it, you can handle it."
"It still hasn't hit me, this life is crazy," Jax said.
The six-year big leaguer is a Colorado native, graduating from Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colo. in 2013. He went 7-1 with a 1.74 earned run average (ERA) during his senior season with the Bruins, to earn Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year honors. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the 13th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, but Jax chose to pursue a college education and continue playing baseball at the Air Force Academy instead.
"I really wanted to go to school and pursue college; make sure that I took care of grades and a college education before pursuing professional baseball," Jax said. "But I also wanted to stay close to family. That was a big emphasis for me, just being able to see them as often as possible."
However, the Academy was not always part of Jax's plan.
"I actually told Coach Kaz 'no' the first couple times," Jax said. "Even growing up in Denver, I didn't really know much about the Air Force Academy, I just thought baseball was going to be my path to college and then hopefully into the pros. But then the summer of my junior year, Kaz started reaching out. He started driving down to talk to me and my family, and kept calling…and thank goodness he did because ended up working out."
Jax would go on to have a stellar career in Colorado Springs, highlighted by a junior season where he posted a 9-2 record with a single season program-record 2.05 ERA, striking out 90 batters and walking only 10 in 105.1 innings.
His performance helped propel him to the next level. The Minnesota Twins selected Jax in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft to become the eighth Falcon in program history to be drafted.
After five years in the minor leagues, Jax earned a spot on Minnesota's 40-man roster and received his first major league call-up. On June 8, 2021, he made his MLB debut, becoming the first Air Force graduate to reach the major leagues.
"To think of being one of the first to get drafted and then make it to this point is really cool," Jax said. "I never thought I was going to be that path setter or the person that could say I was the first to do all that stuff, but it's really cool and something I don't take lightly."
Throughout his journey, former Air Force head coach Mike Kazlausky remained one of Jax's most important mentors.
"Of all my coaches throughout my career from travel ball to high school to college to pro ball, Kaz is probably the guy I talk to the most," Jax explained. "He's just such an awesome person, great mentor, and incredible role model to have; not just in baseball, but in life. He's been such a strong figurehead for me in my life. He means so much to that school and to that program. Without him, I would not have gone there, and I would not have made it [to the majors]."
Kazlausky's influence extended beyond the baseball field, shaping Jax's approach to leadership and life.
"He emphasized so much to us what being a leader and what being a man meant," Jax said. "Like I said, we talk pretty much every week. It doesn't even have to be about baseball, it's usually just whatever's going on in life. He's still so involved in my career and my family, and I like to stay in touch with what he's doing and what's going on back at school."
The lessons Jax learned at the Academy proved valuable when his professional career took an unexpected turn. On July 3, 2025, the Minnesota Twins traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays.
"Yeah, it was hard. The Twins had drafted me, and it was really all I knew," Jax said. "But like I said, the Academy taught me how to prepare for that and how to get ready for any sort of adversity, roll with the punches, be cool with it, and use it to your advantage."
Jax also credited his family with providing stability throughout his career. His wife, Savannah, played volleyball at Air Force, where the two met. She later served on active duty, reaching the rank of captain before separating from the Air Force in 2023.
"She's been so helpful in this entire journey," Jax expressed. "In my time in the minor leagues, quality of life isn't awesome. But her unwavering support during that time, just making sure I had what I needed to continue pursuing baseball, I won't forget. So yeah, she's been a huge part of it. She's been there every step of the way."
For current cadets hoping to follow a similar path, the Falcon legend reflected on how his experience at the Academy prepared him to navigate the challenges of professional baseball.
"I fall back on a lot of the mental training that the Air Force Academy did for me," Jax said. "So much of my success and my path to this point just can boil back down to the mental side and the maturity that the Air Force gave me. It's not going to be easy. It's never easy. But if you want it bad enough, if you see yourself doing it, you can handle it."
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