The path to the big leagues is a long, winding road that is often unique. Some players shoot up systems, others are late bloomers, many don’t make it. Foster Griffin has taken one of the least conventional routes to the big leagues, especially following the hype surrounding his draft selection.

His MLB dream officially came into motion following his 2014 first-round selection by the Royals. Kansas City nabbed the southpaw pitcher at the 28th overall selection. Griffin’s rise through the ranks was not always easy. He had a 4.54 ERA in his minor league career while fanning just 672 hitters in 811 innings. Typically, a player with a poor ERA won’t reach the big leagues unless they have strikeout stuff the MLB club values.

Griffin, though, received the call in 2020. In his debut season, he threw just 1.2 innings. Griffin tragically tore his elbow in his first appearance. He had to undergo a demoralizing Tommy John surgery following the incident. In 2022, he returned to the bigs following rehab and  threw just 6.1 innings and had an 8.53 ERA. 

The Land of the Rising Sun

Following his dismal brief MLB sample size, he opted to exit the country in the hopes of prolonging his professional baseball career. Foster Griffin landed in Japan to join the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league. 

Former MLB players have gone to Japan in attempts to revive their career in the past. Miles Mikolas most recently rebounded his career in Japan and has become a two-time All-Star in the big leagues since his stint in Japan. Mikolas had a similar start to his career to Griffin. He was afforded more opportunities to pitch innings in the majors, but he struggled briefly after debuting. 

Griffin saw a lot of opportunities in the NPB. He tossed north of 315 innings, posting a 2.57 ERA, to go along with a 9.1 K/9. Griffin’s ability to string together consecutive seasons of being one of the best arms in Japan garnered the attention of MLB pro scouts. That interest resulted in a deal to return stateside on a one-year contract worth $5.5 million with the Washington Nationals.

The contract was far from the end goal for Foster Griffin. Many players struggle and revive their careers in Mexico, Japan, or Korea and then come back to the MLB and fizzle right back out. Griffin, however, has taken command of his second chance in the States and ensured he won’t be a one-and-done returning player.

The Return

Griffin has impressed and turned into the most effective starter in a poor Washington Nationals rotation. In 138.1 innings, Griffin recorded a 3.06 ERA. His breakout campaign landed him his first All-Star appearance, in his first real chance in the big leagues. Most first-round picks get more than eight innings with the big club before they decide to give up on them. Kansas City, the team that spent a first-round draft choice on him, gave him just six innings before they called it quits.

At this season’s MLB trade deadline, the 2026 first-time All-Star’s value around the league was on full display, as the Cleveland Guardians moved multiple prospects to Washington to acquire the lefty starter for the middle of their rotation. 

While his pre-Japan MLB career was not productive, he was never fully given a chance to adjust to the big league level. Griffin was relegated to Japan without ever being able to fully prove himself. That massive hit to his career did not stop him, it fueled him. Foster Griffin’s story is one of perseverance, resilience, and proof that you can exhaust all your options in order to finally achieve your dream. 

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