IP | 5.2 |
---|---|
ERA | 0 |
WHIP | .53 |
BB/9 | 3.18 |
SO/9 | 7.94 |
- Full name Austin Cox
- Born 03/28/1997 in Macon, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Mercer
-
Drafted in the 5th round (152nd overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2018 (signed for $447,500).
View Draft Report
A 6-foot-3, 205-pound lefthander with a pair of above-average breaking balls, Cox has posted big strikeout rates for Mercer in the Southern Conference. However, he's been hit regularly and has a poor statistical record outside of the strikeout numbers. A firm slider is his most consistent breaking pitch and it's a current above-average offering, although at times he can get around the side of the ball. Cox also has curveball with more 1-to-7 shape that he gets on top of more regularly and with his arm slot, might be the best pitch for him in the future. Cox has been up to 94 mph this spring with his fastball, but that's more of an average pitch that ticks lower as he gets deeper into games. Cox also has feel for a solid changeup. The stuff is all there for an interesting back-end starter, but Cox has some work to do in his delivery. He gets rotational at times and also cuts himself in his landing. He's athletic enough to make the adjustments, but teams might also be leery of a small-school pitcher without much track record of success--elite strikeout rate or not.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Track Record: Cox consistently ranked between No. 9 and No. 16 in Kansas City’s Top 30 Prospects since the Royals made him their 2018 fifth-round selection out of Mercer, but his 2021 season represented a bit of a step back. Cox spent almost all season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and was not added to the 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: Cox has always pitched off the strength of his plus fastball, but his velocity was down a few ticks in 2021, mostly sitting 90-92 mph. He also shelved his inconsistent slider, instead choosing to focus on his curveball and changeup. The curveball made strides and is now considered an above-average pitch, delivered in the upper 70s with good depth and downward movement. His upper-80s changeup is too firm and hasn’t developed into a reliable pitch. In the past, Cox’s arsenal played up because of his command, but he labored to keep his delivery under control in 2021 and walked 3.57 batters per nine innings at Double-A. This heightened concerns about a potential shift to the bullpen.
The Future: Cox will head to spring training looking to regain velocity and smooth his delivery. He’s shown the ability to get results previously, so a few adjustments may get him back on track. -
TRACK RECORD: Cox was coming off a strong 2019 season split between the two Class A levels just over a year after being drafted from Mercer in the fifth round. He spent the summer at the alternate training site, adjusting to facing more advanced hitters and working on his secondary pitches.
SCOUTING REPORT: The strength of Cox's repertoire is a plus fastball that he gets to both sides of the plate in the 90-94 mph range. He delivers his pitches with good arm speed and a low-effort, repeatable delivery. Complementing the fastball is a plus curveball in the high 70s with downer movement and good depth. His slider is a newer pitch, offering a different shape from the curveball, and he worked all summer on the changeup, trying to get feel for it and gain comfort with the pitch. The pitches play up because of how well Cox commands them, and he's learning to be more competitive in the zone.
THE FUTURE: With two plus pitches and outstanding command, Cox would certainly not be out of place as a power arm near the back of the bullpen if he never develops a solid third pitch. He'll likely head to Double-A for the start of the 2021 season. -
TRACK RECORD: The Royals drafted five pitchers before calling Cox's name in the fifth round in 2018, but the Mercer product quickly impressed after a strong 2019 season. An erratic pitcher in college, Cox impressed both Royals personnel and opposing scouts alike with a 2.76 ERA at two Class A levels, a lower figure than he ever posted in the hitter-friendly Southern Conference.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cox pitches aggressively with a plus fastball he gets to both sides of the plate. He sits 90-93 mph and touches 96. He stands out for his plus control and feel to pitch and complements his heater with a true 12-to-6 curveball the Royals consider the best in their organization. Cox is still developing an average mid-80s changeup he throws with the same arm speed as his other pitches. The key to Cox's improvement has been his control and command. A big lefty who took time to grow into his body, he now features a free and easy overhand delivery that is simple and repeatable. As such, his walk rate dropped dramatically from 4.4 per nine innings his final year in college to 2.6 per nine in his first full pro season.
THE FUTURE: Some observers believe Cox has more upside than many of the more touted pitchers in the Royals' system. He'll get a chance to prove it at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2020. -
Track Record: Drafted in the fifth round and signed for $447,500, Cox had an impressive pro debut in 2018. His pure stuff at Mercer was generally better than his results, with opponents hitting .284 despite him striking out 12.7 hitters per nine innings, which ranked in the top 10 among all Division I pitchers.
Scouting Report: The source of Cox's issues in college was a quick delivery that he didn't always repeat. The Royals worked to get him to slow his delivery down, as well as learn how to pitch to the edges of the strike zone while keeping the ball out of the middle of the plate. Cox has an elite ability to miss bats, using an above-average fastball in the mid-90s with average or better movement and two good breaking balls that could be considered plus pitches in the future. Rounding out his pitch mix is an above-average changeup, while his control projects to be fringe-average.
The Future: Cox could be either a starter or a multi-inning reliever. He should make it to full-season ball at low Class A Lexington.
Draft Prospects
-
A 6-foot-3, 205-pound lefthander with a pair of above-average breaking balls, Cox has posted big strikeout rates for Mercer in the Southern Conference. However, he's been hit regularly and has a poor statistical record outside of the strikeout numbers. A firm slider is his most consistent breaking pitch and it's a current above-average offering, although at times he can get around the side of the ball. Cox also has curveball with more 1-to-7 shape that he gets on top of more regularly and with his arm slot, might be the best pitch for him in the future. Cox has been up to 94 mph this spring with his fastball, but that's more of an average pitch that ticks lower as he gets deeper into games. Cox also has feel for a solid changeup. The stuff is all there for an interesting back-end starter, but Cox has some work to do in his delivery. He gets rotational at times and also cuts himself in his landing. He's athletic enough to make the adjustments, but teams might also be leery of a small-school pitcher without much track record of success--elite strikeout rate or not.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
Cox was drafted in the fifth round in part for his elite strikeout rates as a college lefthander with Mercer. He continued to whiff batters at a high rate in 33.1 innings as a pro, fanning 13.8 batters per nine with two above average breaking balls and a solid-average fastball that he locates in the 89-92 mph range but ticks up higher than that at its peak. Barring a jump in velocity, the 6-foot-4 southpaw will have to improve the command of his fastball, as he frequently throws the pitch over the middle of the plate. Cox also throws a changeup that's behind his other three offerings, but in spite of that he posted fairly significant reverse platoon splits--lefthanded batters posted a .953 OPS against him compared to a .528 OPS against righthanders. Cox has a chance to be a backend starter, but could also find a role as a multi-inning reliever.
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Curveball in the Kansas City Royals in 2020
Scouting Reports
-
Track Record: Cox consistently ranked between No. 9 and No. 16 in Kansas City’s Top 30 Prospects since the Royals made him their 2018 fifth-round selection out of Mercer, but his 2021 season represented a bit of a step back. Cox spent almost all season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and was not added to the 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: Cox has always pitched off the strength of his plus fastball, but his velocity was down a few ticks in 2021, mostly sitting 90-92 mph. He also shelved his inconsistent slider, instead choosing to focus on his curveball and changeup. The curveball made strides and is now considered an above-average pitch, delivered in the upper 70s with good depth and downward movement. His upper-80s changeup is too firm and hasn’t developed into a reliable pitch. In the past, Cox’s arsenal played up because of his command, but he labored to keep his delivery under control in 2021 and walked 3.57 batters per nine innings at Double-A. This heightened concerns about a potential shift to the bullpen.
The Future: Cox will head to spring training looking to regain velocity and smooth his delivery. He’s shown the ability to get results previously, so a few adjustments may get him back on track. -
TRACK RECORD: Cox was coming off a strong 2019 season split between the two Class A levels just over a year after being drafted from Mercer in the fifth round. He spent the summer at the alternate training site, adjusting to facing more advanced hitters and working on his secondary pitches.
SCOUTING REPORT: The strength of Cox's repertoire is a plus fastball that he gets to both sides of the plate in the 90-94 mph range. He delivers his pitches with good arm speed and a low-effort, repeatable delivery. Complementing the fastball is a plus curveball in the high 70s with downer movement and good depth. His slider is a newer pitch, offering a different shape from the curveball, and he worked all summer on the changeup, trying to get feel for it and gain comfort with the pitch. The pitches play up because of how well Cox commands them, and he's learning to be more competitive in the zone.
THE FUTURE: With two plus pitches and outstanding command, Cox would certainly not be out of place as a power arm near the back of the bullpen if he never develops a solid third pitch. He'll likely head to Double-A for the start of the 2021 season. -
TRACK RECORD: Cox was coming off a strong 2019 season split between the two Class A levels just over a year after being drafted from Mercer in the fifth round. He spent the summer at the alternate training site, adjusting to facing more advanced hitters and working on his secondary pitches.
SCOUTING REPORT: The strength of Cox's repertoire is a plus fastball that he gets to both sides of the plate in the 90-94 mph range. He delivers his pitches with good arm speed and a low-effort, repeatable delivery. Complementing the fastball is a plus curveball in the high 70s with downer movement and good depth. His slider is a newer pitch, offering a different shape from the curveball, and he worked all summer on the changeup, trying to get feel for it and gain comfort with the pitch. The pitches play up because of how well Cox commands them, and he's learning to be more competitive in the zone.
THE FUTURE: With two plus pitches and outstanding command, Cox would certainly not be out of place as a power arm near the back of the bullpen if he never develops a solid third pitch. He'll likely head to Double-A for the start of the 2021 season. -
TRACK RECORD: Cox was coming off a strong 2019 season split between the two Class A levels just over a year after being drafted from Mercer in the fifth round. He spent the summer at the alternate training site, adjusting to facing more advanced hitters and working on his secondary pitches.
SCOUTING REPORT: The strength of Cox's repertoire is a plus fastball that he gets to both sides of the plate in the 90-94 mph range. He delivers his pitches with good arm speed and a low-effort, repeatable delivery. Complementing the fastball is a plus curveball in the high 70s with downer movement and good depth. His slider is a newer pitch, offering a different shape from the curveball, and he worked all summer on the changeup, trying to get feel for it and gain comfort with the pitch. The pitches play up because of how well Cox commands them, and he's learning to be more competitive in the zone.
THE FUTURE: With two plus pitches and outstanding command, Cox would certainly not be out of place as a power arm near the back of the bullpen if he never develops a solid third pitch. He'll likely head to Double-A for the start of the 2021 season. -
TRACK RECORD: The Royals drafted five pitchers before calling Cox’s name in the fifth round in 2018, but the Mercer product quickly impressed after a strong 2019 season. An erratic pitcher in college, Cox impressed both Royals personnel and opposing scouts alike with a 2.76 ERA at two Class A levels, a lower figure than he ever posted in the hitter-friendly Southern Conference.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cox pitches aggressively with a plus fastball he gets to both sides of the plate. He sits 90-93 mph and touches 96. He stands out for his plus control and feel to pitch and complements his heater with a true 12-to-6 curveball the Royals consider the best in their organization. Cox is still developing an average mid-80s changeup he throws with the same arm speed as his other pitches. The key to Cox’s improvement has been his control and command. A big lefty who took time to grow into his body, he now features a free and easy overhand delivery that is simple and repeatable. As such, his walk rate dropped dramatically from 4.4 per nine innings his final year in college to 2.6 per nine in his first full pro season.
THE FUTURE: Some observers believe Cox has more upside than many of the more touted pitchers in the Royals’ system. He’ll get a chance to prove it at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2020. -
TRACK RECORD: The Royals drafted five pitchers before calling Cox's name in the fifth round in 2018, but the Mercer product quickly impressed after a strong 2019 season. An erratic pitcher in college, Cox impressed both Royals personnel and opposing scouts alike with a 2.76 ERA at two Class A levels, a lower figure than he ever posted in the hitter-friendly Southern Conference.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cox pitches aggressively with a plus fastball he gets to both sides of the plate. He sits 90-93 mph and touches 96. He stands out for his plus control and feel to pitch and complements his heater with a true 12-to-6 curveball the Royals consider the best in their organization. Cox is still developing an average mid-80s changeup he throws with the same arm speed as his other pitches. The key to Cox's improvement has been his control and command. A big lefty who took time to grow into his body, he now features a free and easy overhand delivery that is simple and repeatable. As such, his walk rate dropped dramatically from 4.4 per nine innings his final year in college to 2.6 per nine in his first full pro season.
THE FUTURE: Some observers believe Cox has more upside than many of the more touted pitchers in the Royals' system. He'll get a chance to prove it at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2020.