Austin Cox

BIOGRAPHY

Austin Cox was born March 28, 1997, in Macon, Georgia. He is a pitcher in the MLB.

The Kansas City Royals selected Cox in the fifth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Royals and made his professional debut with the Burlington Royals of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, pitching to a 1–1 record and a 3.78 ERA over nine starts. In 2019, he began the year with the Lexington Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League, with whom he was named an All-Star alongside earning Pitcher of the Week honors in early June. He was promoted to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League in June, and finished the season there. Over 24 games (23 starts) between the two teams, he went 8–6 with a 2.76 ERA, compiling 129 strikeouts and 38 walks over 130+2⁄3 innings. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Double-A Central, and was promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Triple-A East in late September. Over 17 games (16 starts) between the two clubs, Cox went 4-1 with a 4.10 ERA and 56 strikeouts over 63 innings. He returned to Omaha for the 2022 season. Over 29 games (24 starts), he went 7-7 with a 4.21 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 147+1⁄3 innings.

Cox began the 2023 season with Omaha, posting a 2.21 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 20+1⁄3 innings pitched across five games (four starts). On May 3, 2023, Cox was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.