James Russell Ellis (born March 25, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in 1967 and 1969 for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

The 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 185 pounds (84 kg) Ellis was originally signed by the Cubs as a free-agent in 1963, and he made his big league debut with them on August 11, 1967, at the age of 22.

On April 23, 1968, Ellis was traded with Ted Savage to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jim Hickman and Phil Regan.

The Cardinals sent Ellis and Carl Taylor to the Brewers for Jerry McNertney, George Lauzerique and Jesse Huggins, a minor leaguer.

After one season with the Brewers' top farm club, the Evansville Triplets, Ellis' professional career ended.