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2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Griffin Jax enters the 2026 season as the projected closer for the Tampa Bay Rays, marking a significant evolution in his career. The 31-year-old right-hander finished 2025 with a 4.23 ERA and 1.7 WAR across 66 innings split between the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay, following a mid-season trade. While his surface ERA was inflated, his underlying metrics remained elite, highlighted by a dominant 35.0% strikeout rate and a stellar 2.51 FIP. His heavy reliance on a wipeout slider (44% usage) continues to be his calling card, generating whiffs and weak contact when he's locating effectively.

The Rays showed their commitment to Jax by signing him to a one-year, $3.565 million contract to avoid arbitration, solidifying his role in the back end of their bullpen. Fantasy managers should view Jax as a high-upside closer option; his ability to miss bats (13.5 K/9 in 2025) offers immense value in categories leagues, though his occasional volatility can lead to ratio hiccups. With no clear competition for the ninth inning entering spring training, Jax is poised for a career-high in saves, provided he can maintain the command that made him a breakout reliever in previous seasons.