Austin Zachary Gomber (born November 23, 1993) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

. The Cardinals' fourth-round selection of the

2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

, Gomber attended

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Owls Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vis ...

. The Cardinals named him one of their two 2015 Co-

Minor League Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

Pitchers of the Year. He made his MLB debut in 2018. He bats and throws left-handed.

Baseball career

Amateur career

Austin Gomber attended West Orange High School in

Winter Garden, Florida Winter Garden is a city in western Orange County, Florida, United States. Located west of Downtown Orlando, it is part of the Orlando metropolitan area. The population was 46,964 as of the 2020 census. History The pre-European history of the ...

, and, after graduation, made himself available for the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, but remained unselected. He enrolled at

, where he played

for the

Florida Atlantic Owls The Florida Atlantic Owls are the athletics teams of Florida Atlantic University. The Owls participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I as members of the American Athletic Conference. On October 21, 2021, Flori ...

. There, he played three seasons, made 41 starts and registered a 3.27

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

(IP). In 2013, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park (ballpark) ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

St. Louis Cardinals

The

selected Gomber in the fourth round of the

and signed him with a $374,100

bonus Bonus commonly means: * Bonus, a Commonwealth term for a distribution of profits to a with-profits insurance policy * Bonus payment, an extra payment received as a reward for doing one's job well or as an incentive Bonus may also refer to: Place ...

. His first assignment was to the

State College Spikes The State College Spikes are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in State College, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Medlar Field on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. The team was fo ...

of the

Low-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for ...

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

, where he recorded a 2–2 record and 2.30 ERA with 36

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s in 11

games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games pitched, games that a pitcher has starting pitcher, started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opp ...

for State College. In 2015, Gomber pitched for the

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Pe ...

, where he was named a

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

. He finished the season with a 15–3 record and a 2.67 ERA, leading the league in wins,

s (140) and

batting average against In baseball statistics, batting average against (denoted by BAA or AVG), also known as opponents' batting average (denoted by OBA), is a statistic that measures a pitcher's ability to prevent hits during official at bats. It can alternatively be ...

(.198). At one point during the season, he won 13 consecutive decisions. The Cardinals named Gomber their Minor League Pitcher of the Month for August 2015, and, along with Alex Reyes, their Co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year. The Cardinals invited him to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

as a non-roster player in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

. Gomber began 2016 with the

Palm Beach Cardinals The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roge ...

and was promoted to the

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They are members of the Texas League's North Division and serve as the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals began pl ...

in July. In his second start for Springfield on July 30, 2016, he pitched seven innings against the

Northwest Arkansas Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. T ...

and allowed one hit, no runs, two walks and struck out three. Gomber had started 19 games over Classes A-Advanced and AA to that point in 2016, allowing a 2.69 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over innings. He finished the 2016 season with a combined 7–8 record and a 2.69 ERA in 21 starts. After the season, the Cardinals assigned Gomber to the

Glendale Desert Dogs The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White S ...

of the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

(AFL). Gomber was one of the best pitchers in the AFL and finished the season with seven games started, a 5–1 record, and a 2.14 ERA. Gomber spent 2017 with Springfield. After struggling during the first half of the season, Gomber posted a 1.92 ERA in his last ten games with Springfield. He finished the 2017 season 10–7 with a 3.34 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 26 starts, as he pitched 143 innings (4th in the Texas League) and had 140 strikeouts (2nd) and gave up 61 walks (5th) and 17 home runs (6th). The Cardinals added him to their 40-man roster after the season to protect him from being chosen in the Rule 5 Draft. Gomber began 2018 with the

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

. On April 23, 2018, in a game against the

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

, Gomber tied the Redbirds' franchise record for strikeouts in a game with 16, joining

Lance Lynn Michael Lance Lynn (born May 12, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Between 2011 and 2024, he played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, ...

who also struck out 16 in 2010. The Cardinals promoted Gomber from Memphis on April 29, 2018, to pitch in long relief out of the bullpen. However, he did not make an appearance and was optioned back to Memphis on May 4. He was recalled once again on May 31, and he made his major league debut on June 2, pitching three scoreless innings of relief against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

Busch Stadium Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, ...

in a 3–2 walk-off win. He was optioned back to Memphis on July 6. He was recalled on July 24 to make his first major league start that night. In his first MLB start, Gomber threw six no-hit innings against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

before allowing a single to

Joey Votto Joseph Daniel Votto (born September 10, 1983) is a Canadian-American former professional baseball first baseman who spent his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Cincinnati Reds from 2007 to 2023. He was the second Canad ...

with one out in the seventh inning. He finished the year with St. Louis, compiling a 6–2 record with a 4.44 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP in 29 games (11 starts). During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Gomber appeared in 10 games (four starts) with the Cardinals, going 1–1 with an ERA of 1.86. In 29 innings pitched, he struck out 27 batters while walking 15.

Colorado Rockies

On February 1, 2021, Gomber was traded to the

alongside minor league players Elehuris Montero,

Mateo Gil Mateo Gil Rodríguez (born 23 September 1972, Las Palmas, Spain) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, second unit director, assistant director, cinematographer, editor and producer. He co-wrote most of Alejandro Amenábar's films with him ...

, Tony Locey and Jake Sommers in exchange for

Nolan Arenado Nolan James Arenado (; born April 16, 1991) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Arenado is widely recognized as one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. He is ...

. For the 2021 season, Gomber made 23 starts, tallying a 9–9 record with a 4.53 ERA and 113 strikeouts in innings before his season was cut short due to a stress fracture in his lower back. In 2023, Gomber posted a 9–9 record and 5.50 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 139 innings across 27 starts for Colorado. On August 28, 2023, Gomber departed a start against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

as a result of back soreness. He placed on the injured list on September 8, and was later transferred to the 60–day injured list the same day with what was described as lower back inflammation, ending his season. In 2024 Gomber started 30 games and posted a 5-12 record and a 4.75 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 165 innings and allowed the most home runs in the National League that year. Gomber began the 2025 season on the injured list due to shoulder soreness. Following a rehab start with the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

, he was scratched from a scheduled second start due to inflammation in the same shoulder. On April 19, 2025, Gomber was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He was activated by the team on June 15.

Pitching style

Gomber throws four pitches: a

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

, and a slider. His fastball can reach . In his pre-draft report, Jim Callis commented that his changeup was his best pitch.

Personal life

Gomber married his wife Rachel on December 28th, 2019. They had their first son, Beckham, in June 2019, their second son, Charlie, in August 2021, and their daughter, Adalyn, in September 2024.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomber, Austin Living people 1993 births Albuquerque Isotopes players Baseball players from Orange County, Florida Bourne Braves players Colorado Rockies players Florida Atlantic Owls baseball players Glendale Desert Dogs players Major League Baseball pitchers Memphis Redbirds players Palm Beach Cardinals players Peoria Chiefs players Sportspeople from Winter Garden, Florida Springfield Cardinals players St. Louis Cardinals players State College Spikes players