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Foster Griffin

Foster Griffin
Griffin with the Yomiuri Giants in 2024
Yomiuri Giants – No. 29
Pitcher
Born: (1995-07-27) July 27, 1995 (age 30)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
Professional debut
MLB: July 27, 2020, for the Kansas City Royals
NPB: April 1, 2023, for the Yomiuri Giants
MLB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Win–loss record1–0
Earned run average6.75
Strikeouts5
NPB statistics
(through August 26, 2025)
Win–loss record18–10
Earned run average2.47
Strikeouts318
Teams
Career highlights and awards
NPB

Fred Foster Griffin (born July 27, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays. The Royals selected him in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut with the team in 2020. After his debut, he had Tommy John surgery. After a brief return to the majors in 2022, he signed with Yomiuri. He was an NPB All-Star in 2025.

Career

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Kansas City Royals

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Griffin attended The First Academy in Orlando, Florida. The Kansas City Royals selected him in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.[1][2][3] He signed on June 10,[4] and was assigned to the Burlington Royals, where he posted a 3.21 ERA in 28 innings pitched. Griffin spent 2015 with the Lexington Legends where he went 4–6 with a 5.44 ERA. In 2016, Griffin split time between Lexington and the Wilmington Blue Rocks, where he posted a combined 6–4 record and a 5.43 ERA between the two teams. He spent 2017 with both Wilmington and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals where he went a combined 15–7 with a 3.35 ERA between both clubs, and 2018 back with the Naturals where he pitched to a 10–12 record with a 5.13 ERA in 28 games (26 starts). He spent 2019 with the Omaha Storm Chasers, going 8–6 with a 5.23 ERA over 25 starts, striking out 111 over 130+2⁄3 innings.[5][6] Griffin was added to the Royals 40-man roster following the 2019 season.[7]

Griffin made his major league debut on July 27, 2020, pitching 1+2⁄3 scoreless innings to earn the win against the Detroit Tigers.[8] On August 11, Griffin underwent Tommy John surgery. On November 30, Griffin was designated for assignment.[9][10] On December 2, the Royals non-tendered Griffin, making him a free agent. On December 12, Griffin re-signed with the Royals on a minor league contract.[11]

Griffin made 15 rehab appearances with five Royals minor league affiliates in 2021. He began the 2022 season with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. On May 20, 2022, Griffin had his contract selected by the Royals.[10] He pitched in five games before the Royals designated him for assignment on July 11.[12]

Toronto Blue Jays

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On July 16, 2022, Griffin traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Jonatan Bernal. Griffin pitched only once for Toronto, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. The rest of his season was spent with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he pitched to a pristine 1.93 ERA and 4-0 record with 32 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.[13] He was released on November 15.[14]

Yomiuri Giants

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On January 12, 2023, Griffin signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.[15] On May 13, Griffin hit a triple off of Masato Morishita of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He became the first Yomiuri non-Japanese pitcher to hit a triple since Toru Nishida in 1952.[16] In his first season in Japan, he was 6–5 with a 2.75 ERA in 20 games.[17] Griffin signed a two-year contract extension for the 2024 season on November 26.[18] He had similar results in 2024, going 6–4 with a 3.01 ERA in 20 games.[17] He was an NPB All-Star in 2025.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Kansas City Royals choose Foster Griffin with 28th pick". kingsofkauffman.com. June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "Ole Miss signee Griffin selected in MLB Draft". clarionledger.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  3. ^ Kaegel, Dick (June 5, 2014). "KC chooses prep southpaw Griffin with second pick". MLB.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "Royals agree to terms with several Draft picks". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "Foster Griffin Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  6. ^ "Chaser pitchers Foster Griffin, Jake Kolish make early lead hold for first win, save". Omaha.com. April 18, 2019.
  7. ^ "Royals add four players to 40-man roster; Bonifacio, Dini among four DFA'd". Fox Sports Kansas City. Associated Press. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  8. ^ "Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Box Score: July 27, 2020". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  9. ^ "Royals Sign Michael A. Taylor". MLB Trade Rumors. November 30, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Grathoff, Pete (May 21, 2022). "From 'broken' to back in Kansas City, lefty Foster Griffin returns to the KC Royals". Kansas City Star.
  11. ^ "Royals Re-Sign Bubba Starling, Carlos Sanabria, Foster Griffin". December 12, 2020.
  12. ^ Adams, Steve (July 11, 2022). "Royals DFA Foster Griffin, Add Drew Waters To 40-Man". MLB Trade Rumors.
  13. ^ "Blue Jays option RHP Julian Merryweather to Triple-A Buffalo, recall LHP Foster Griffin". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Franco, Anthony (November 15, 2022). "Blue Jays Designate Raimel Tapia, Bradley Zimmer For Assignment". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "巨人がグリフィンの獲得を発表 190センチの大型左腕「とても喜んでいます」" [Giants announce the acquisition of Griffin, 190 cm tall left-hander: "I am very happy"]. Full-Count（フルカウント） ― 野球ニュース・速報・コラム ― (in Japanese). January 12, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  16. ^ "【巨人】71年ぶりの大珍事　グリフィンが西田亨以来２人目の外国人投手で三塁打" [[Giants] 71 years of great rarity Griffin is the second foreign pitcher since Toru Nishida to hit a triple]. Yahoo! News (in Japanese). May 13, 2023. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Foster Griffin Minor, Winter & Japanese Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  18. ^ "【巨人】グリフィン２年契約決定！ 安定投球の左腕に最上級の評価 年俸は１億円から増額か" [[Giants] Griffin's 2-year contract decided. Top-notch evaluation for a left-hander with stable pitching. Is the annual salary increased from 100 million yen?]. スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). December 3, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  19. ^ Karasawa, Yuri (July 28, 2025). "NPB All-Star Week Recap". JapanBall. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
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