Austin Gomber

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #14 prospect in 2018
  Gomber came out of Florida Atlantic a big-bodied lefthander with a fastball and changeup. The Cardinals implored him to develop a breaking ball early in his career, and the development of a curveball has elevated Gomber. After leading the system in ERA in 2016, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound southpaw finished second in the organization in strikeouts with a strong season at Double-A in 2017. Gomber is an aggressive, confident pitcher who comes after hitters with three pitches and controls the tempo. He sits 89-92 mph with his fastball and complements it with an average changeup. His real bread and butter is his curve, a downward-diving pitch in the upper 70s that is consistently solid-average and draws plus grades at its best. Gomber controls that arsenal and complements it with a workhorse mentality. He pitched 143 innings in 2017 and saved his best for last, going 6-0, 0.96 over his final seven starts. Gomber is a flyball pitcher prone to giving up home runs when he doesn't spot his fastball precisely, and his lack of a second pitch better than average limits him. Gomber will begin 2018 at Triple-A Memphis and projects as a possible lefthanded spot starter or swingman.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #15 prospect in 2017
  At the end of his pro debut with short-season State College, Gomber headed back to school with an offseason project assigned by the Cardinals. They wanted him to get a curveball, one that he could throw with force to make movement happen, rather than the one he threw at Florida Atlantic, one he tried to force and saw nothing happen. That downward-diving pitch sent his production soaring. Gomber went 15-3, 2.67 the next summer and came to major league spring training as its youngest pitcher, 22. He reached Double-A Springfield in 2016 and finished in the Arizona Fall League as one of its most impressive and economical starters. A hulking lefty, Gomber pitches with an unusual angle, pace and guile. He doesn't have one overwhelming pitch, but the command and sequence he can use throws off top-shelf hitters. His fastball sits from 89-92 mph, and when it's on it helps set up his average changeup; quick outs follow and he flourishes. He spent most of spring observing the major league starters between their appearances, memorizing with an intent to mimic their routines so improve his own conditioning and strength. Gomber has a seasoned feel for how he intends to pitch and, thanks to the upper-70s curveball, a confidence in pitches at three different speeds. He'll advance as a starter, first to Double-A and then wherever needed.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #14 prospect in 2016
  Gomber was just 14-14 in three seasons at Florida Atlantic, though he was the staff ace in 2013 when the Owls went to NCAA regional play. He had a strong first full season at low Class A Peoria in 2015, though he was handled carefully and skipped a turn in August. He came back to finish strong, picking up a victory in the Midwest League playoffs. Gomber led the circuit in wins (15), winning percentage (.833), WHIP (0.97), opponent average (.196) and strikeouts (140). He won his last 14 decisions, dominating less-experienced competition by pitching with angle and location on his 89-92 mph fastball. He pitches inside effectively with his heater to both righthanded and lefthanded hitters. His curveball has advanced from below-average to average with a new grip, and his feel for the pitch helps it play up. He has several varieties of the pitch, including one with low-80s power that gets swings in misses, while he also showed the ability to locates a slower, early-count curve. His changeup, his go-to secondary pitch in his amateur days, remains an average offering. Gomber's a fringy athlete who needs to improve at holding runners and fielding his position. Gomber lacks projection, but if he continues to locate three average pitches, he has a chance to be another Tim Cooney and become a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #82 prospect in 2014 draft
  Gomber played at West Orange High outside of Orlando, which also produced Yankees center-field prospect Mason Williams and Ole Miss outfielder Austin Bausfield. Gomber stepped into Florida Atlantic's rotation as a freshman and was the staff ace in 2013, when FAU lost in a dramatic regional at North Carolina. The Owls and Gomber were having tougher luck in 2014, compounded when Gomber missed his first two scheduled starts in May with what was described as "fatigue and arm soreness" in a media report. If he's healthy, Gomber presents scouts with a good-bodied lefty at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, with a track record of throwing strikes. When at his best, Gomber features two solid-average pitches in his 88-91 mph fastball that touches 93, and a changeup that earns above-average grades, though it's not quite plus for most scouts. Gomber's breaking ball remains inconsistent and below-average. He has shown some potential with the slider, but it's not as refined as his fastball and changeup. If healthy, Gomber could go as high as the third round.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #19 prospect in 2018
  Like many of his Memphis teammates, Gomber spent the first part of the year dominating the PCL before getting called up to help save the Cardinals’ season. Gomber led the PCL in strikeouts at the time of his first callup. After an solid initial stint in the Cardinals bullpen and quick sojourn back to Triple-A, he became a steady member of Cardinals’ rotation by August as they chased the postseason. The 6-foot-5 Gomber is difficult to pick up with his long limbs and a stab in the back to hide the ball. He sits 91-93 mph with his fastball and ramps up to 95 for strikeouts, and his tight-spinning upper 70s curveball is an above-average pitch that generates swings and misses. He also began throwing a cutter mid-year that made him more effective against righthanded hitters. Most important, he ironed out his mechanics to be able to use all his pitches for strikes consistently. The long limbs and arm action that give Gomber deception also limit his control, and he will have to maintain the mechanical adjustments he made to improve his strike-throwing. As long as he does, he has the arsenal and deception to remain a back-end starter on a competitive team.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  The Cardinals broke Gomber into the majors in relief as they often do with their pitching prospects, and he’s settled in nicely as a middle/long reliever. Gomber’s fastball has ticked up to 94-95 mph out of the bullpen, and his big breaking curveball is an out pitch. Gomber’s arm action adds deception but limits his control, making him a reliever in the majors for many evaluators rather than a starter. He has limited righthanded batters to an .071 average, showing he is more than just a lefty specialist.