With the Lugnuts this season, Griffin has posted a 5-0 record with a 5.14 ERA

Shawn Griffith, a right-handed pitcher from St. Petersburg, Florida, was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 37th round (1120th overall) of the 2009 MLB draft. Within the last two years with the Blue Jays organization, Griffith has been a member of the GCL Blue Jays, the Auburn Doubledays, the Dunedin Blue Jays, and presently finds himself on the roster of the Lansing Lugnuts. With the Lugnuts, Griffin has performed spectacularly, posting a 5-0 record with a 5.14 ERA, allowing only two homeruns in over 37 innings pitched. Griffith sat down with JaysProspects to describe his experience thus far and tell his fans a little more information about him.

While Griffith has found success this year, his numbers were equally effective last year with the Auburn Doubledays and Dunedin Blue Jays, where he posted a 2-4 record, with a 4.65 ERA, keeping opposing hitters to a .199 average. When asked who (or what) can be attributed to his success, Griffith admitted, “I would have to give credit to many, many people for helping me get to where I am now. For instance, starting all the way back in little league, my coach Rob Gomez was the person who helped me get in the right direction at a young age. Additionally, my coach in high school, Rob Stanifer, really helped me improve as a pitcher. Lastly, my two college pitching coaches, John Vigue and Steve Hay, have been instrumental to my success. In fact, they both were crucial in developing me as a professional and teaching me things that I would need to know in order to play at the next level.”

At 18 years-old, Griffin threw a five-inning no hitter with 13 strikeouts

In his most recent game, today, September 4th, Griffith started in the Lansing Lugnuts last official regular season game. He pitched wonderfully, pitching three complete innings, allowing only one hit, walking none, and striking out six. Despite this wonderful performance, Griffin admitted than his favourite moment came playing for a summer team a few years back. He stated, “My favorite moment occurred when I was 18. I threw a five-inning no hitter with 13 strikeouts. That happened while I played for a fantastic summer team called RBI. We also went to the RBI World Series that year in California and placed 3rd. It was a wonderful experience.”

While there is no doubt that Griffith has proven himself on the mound, it should also be noted that he has also proven himself academically. In fact, not only did he earn four letters from Largo High School, maintained a 3.2 GPA earning an associate’s degree in sports medicine at St. Petersburg College, but he also got additional education at George Mason University. Explaining his thoughts on the value of education, Griffith noted: “There is no denying that education has been a very important factor for me and my family. Even though I have this great opportunity to play professional baseball, I’m aware that it could end at any second. I wanted my degree t fall back on so that if that unfortunate circumstance were to happen, I could still have the best opportunity to find a job.”

Despite being very intelligent, Griffith admitted that his best skill on the mound was his confidence, competitiveness and conviction: “I honestly feel that I am very strong mentally and can pitch in any situation without any damage.” He further added, “Additionally, I would state that my best off field skill is my hard work and dedication. I work hard year-round to be in top shape and compete every year because I want to play this game for a long time.”

Griffin plans to work hard during the off season to prepare for his next season

Because some JaysProspects readers admitted they are aware of some facts regarding the 24-year-old pitcher, Griffith was then asked if he’d be able to tell his fans anything about him that others may not have been aware of. He replied, “Many people do not know that when I was younger I did gymnastics for five years. Additionally, I also did Tae Kwon Do for five years where I won a state tournament and placed third in nationals.”

With playoffs around the corner, this also means, that the end of the season is nearing its end. Discussing this harsh reality, the young prospect stated, “It’s hard to believe that the off season is almost here as it completely flew by for me. But I plan on continuing working out, running, throwing and staying in baseball condition while looking forward to the next season.”

Everyone at JaysProspects.com wishes Shawn Griffith a healthy, fun, and quick off season as we also cannot wait until the following season and seeing him again in a Blue Jays’ uniform!