Austin Zachary Gomber Bio
Austin Zachary Gomber is an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. Born on November 23, 1993, in Winter Garden, Florida, Gomber was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft after playing college baseball at Florida Atlantic University. He made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Cardinals and has accumulated a career win-loss record of 35-47 with a 5.08 earned run average and 539 strikeouts across his major league career. Gomber established himself as a versatile pitcher capable of both starting and relieving roles during his tenure with the Cardinals and Rockies organizations.
Early Life and Background
Austin Gomber grew up in Winter Garden, Florida, where he attended West Orange High School. During his junior year at West Orange, Gomber earned first-team all-conference honors as a pitcher, demonstrating the talent that would eventually carry him to professional baseball. His standout high school performance positioned him for the next level of his baseball career.
After graduating from West Orange High School, Gomber enrolled at Florida Atlantic University, where he played college baseball for the Florida Atlantic Owls. Over three seasons with the Owls, he made 41 starts and posted a 3.27 earned run average across 244 and two-thirds innings pitched. His junior year proved particularly impressive, as he earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors while leading the conference with a 2.97 earned run average. In the summer of 2013, Gomber honed his skills further by playing collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Path to Professional Baseball
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Gomber in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft, signing him with a $374,100 signing bonus. His professional career began with the State College Spikes of the Low-A New York-Penn League, where he made an immediate impact by going 2-2 with a 2.30 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in 11 games started. The Cardinals recognized his potential early, naming him one of their two 2015 Co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year following an exceptional season.
In 2015 with the Peoria Chiefs, Gomber dominated the Midwest League by posting a 15-3 record with a 2.67 earned run average. He led the league in wins, strikeouts with 140, and lowest batting average against at .198. During one remarkable stretch, Gomber won 13 consecutive decisions. His performance earned him Midwest League All-Star honors and the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month award for August. After the regular season, he continued his development in the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs, where he went 5-1 with a 2.14 earned run average in seven starts.
Austin Zachary Gomber Career
St. Louis Cardinals (2018–2020)
Gomber began the 2018 season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, where he tied the franchise record for strikeouts in a game with 16 against the Iowa Cubs on April 23. The Cardinals promoted him to the major league roster on April 29 for long relief duty, though he did not make an appearance before being optioned back to Memphis on May 4. He received another recall on May 31 and made his major league debut on June 2, pitching three scoreless innings of relief against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 3-2 walk-off victory at Busch Stadium.
Gomber earned another recall on July 24 and made his first major league start that same night. In that memorable debut start against the Cincinnati Reds, he threw six no-hit innings before allowing a single to Joey Votto with one out in the seventh inning. He finished the 2018 season with a 6-2 record, a 4.44 earned run average, and a 1.51 WHIP in 29 games including 11 starts. The 2019 season saw Gomber miss three months due to biceps tendonitis, but he returned to form with a 7-inning complete game shutout that earned him Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors. During the shortened 2020 season, he appeared in 10 games with four starts, compiling a 1-1 record with a 1.86 earned run average and 27 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.
Colorado Rockies (2021–2025)
On February 1, 2021, the Cardinals traded Gomber to the Colorado Rockies as part of a package that also included minor leaguers Elehuris Montero, Mateo Gil, Tony Locey, and Jake Sommers in exchange for Nolan Arenado. Gomber made 23 starts during his debut season with the Rockies, posting a 9-9 record with a 4.53 earned run average and 113 strikeouts across 115 and one-third innings. His season was cut short due to a stress fracture in his lower back. In 2022, he split time between starting and relieving roles, recording a 5-7 mark with a 5.56 earned run average in 124 and two-thirds innings.
The 2023 season brought one of Gomber’s most notable achievements. He did not issue a walk in a franchise-record 29 and two-thirds consecutive innings, a streak spanning from June 30 to July 31. He completed that season with a 9-9 record, a 5.50 earned run average, and 87 strikeouts in 139 innings across 27 starts. However, back troubles resurfaced when he left a start against the Atlanta Braves on August 28 with soreness, ultimately ending his season on the injured list with lower back inflammation. In 2024, Gomber led the Rockies in innings pitched with 165, starting 30 games and posting a 5-12 record with a 4.75 earned run average and 116 strikeouts while tying for the most home runs allowed in the National League.
The 2025 season proved challenging as Gomber began the year on the injured list due to shoulder soreness. After a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, inflammation in the same shoulder forced him to be scratched from a scheduled start. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 19 and was activated on June 15. Gomber struggled in 12 starts for Colorado, going 0-7 with a 7.49 earned run average and 34 strikeouts across 57 and two-thirds innings. The Rockies released him on August 22, 2025.
Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers (2025–2026)
Following his release from Colorado, Gomber signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on August 26, 2025, and was assigned to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. He performed exceptionally well in limited action, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.47 earned run average and 19 strikeouts over 19 innings in four appearances including three starts. He elected free agency after the season on November 6, 2025.
On January 25, 2026, Gomber signed another minor league contract, this time with the Texas Rangers organization. He began the regular season with the Triple-A Round Rock Express, appearing in nine contests with a 7.75 earned run average and 29 strikeouts across 33 and two-thirds innings. The Rangers released him on May 16, 2026, after which he signed with the Atlanta Braves organization on the same day.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gomber features a four-pitch repertoire consisting of a fastball, changeup, curveball, and slider. His fastball can reach 90 miles per hour, while his changeup has consistently been regarded as his best pitch, drawing praise from scouts including Jim Callis who highlighted it in his pre-draft report. This combination has allowed him to find success as both a starting pitcher and reliever throughout his professional career.
Austin Zachary Gomber Career Wins
Across his major league career spanning seven seasons with the Cardinals and Rockies, Gomber compiled a career win-loss record of 35 wins and 47 losses with a 5.08 earned run average and 539 total strikeouts. His most successful professional season came in 2015 when he went 15-3 in the minor leagues, while his best major league win total came in 2021 and 2023 when he each posted 9-9 records with Colorado.
St. Louis Cardinals Highlights
With the Cardinals organization, Gomber went 7-3 in parts of three seasons. His 2018 rookie campaign was his most productive, as he finished 6-2 with a 4.44 earned run average in 29 appearances including 11 starts. The highlight of his Cardinals tenure came on July 24, 2018, when he made his first major league start and threw six no-hit innings against the Cincinnati Reds before allowing his first hit. He also set a Memphis Redbirds franchise record with 16 strikeouts in a single game that April.
Colorado Rockies Highlights
Gomber’s time with Colorado produced his most sustained major league success. He went 23-28 across four seasons with the Rockies from 2021 to 2025. His 2021 season was cut short by injury but still saw him post a 9-9 record with a 4.53 earned run average and 113 strikeouts in 23 starts. He repeated the 9-9 mark in 2023 while setting a Rockies franchise record with 29 and two-thirds consecutive innings without issuing a walk. His 2024 season saw him lead the team in innings pitched with 165 frames across 30 starts.
Minor League and Other Achievements
Prior to his major league career, Gomber established himself as one of the Cardinals top prospects with an outstanding minor league career. In 2015, he was named Midwest League All-Star and Co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year after going 15-3 with a 2.67 earned run average and leading the league in wins, strikeouts with 140, and batting average against at .198. His success continued in the Arizona Fall League where he posted a 5-1 record with a 2.14 earned run average in seven starts for Glendale Desert Dogs.
Austin Zachary Gomber Family
Family Background
Gomber was born and raised in Winter Garden, Florida, where he attended West Orange High School. He comes from a baseball family with a lineage that supported his development as a pitcher from an early age. His formative years in the Greater Orlando area provided him with access to competitive baseball programs that helped develop his skills.
Personal Life
Gomber married his wife Rachel on December 28, 2019. The couple resides in Windermere, Florida. They have three children together: their first son Beckham was born in June 2019, their second son Charlie arrived in August 2021, and their daughter Adalyn was born in September 2024. Gomber frequently shares glimpses of his family life on social media, including his Instagram account where he posts about his baseball career and family activities.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season proved to be one of the most challenging years of Gomber’s professional career. After beginning the season on the injured list due to shoulder soreness that originated during spring training, he faced setbacks throughout the year. Following a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, inflammation in the same shoulder forced him to be scratched from a scheduled second rehab start, indicating the severity of the issue.
Upon his activation from the injured list on June 15, Gomber returned to the Rockies starting rotation but struggled to find his previous form. In 12 starts for Colorado, he went 0-7 with a 7.49 earned run average and 34 strikeouts across 57 and two-thirds innings. His winless performance highlighted the difficulty of returning from injury in the hitter-friendly environment of Coors Field. The Rockies ultimately released him on August 22, 2025, ending his four-and-a-half-year tenure with the organization.
Despite the difficult season, Gomber caught on quickly with the Chicago Cubs organization, signing a minor league contract in late August. His strong performance with Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a 0.47 earned run average in four appearances, demonstrated his resilience and ability to bounce back from adversity. This performance helped him secure another minor league opportunity with the Texas Rangers in January 2026, and subsequently with the Atlanta Braves organization in May 2026, showing his determination to continue his professional baseball career.