For a Forsyth native who started at the Monroe County Rec Department in 2001 and went on to pitch on some of baseball\u2019s biggest stages, a new chapter has opened an ocean away.<\/p>\n
Former First Presbyterian Viking, Mercer Bear, and Atlanta Braves pitcher Austin Cox is pitching in Japan this season after signing last December with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). His father, Stephen Cox, told the Reporter that Austin is scheduled to make his first start this Wednesday, April 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a fun move so far,\u201d Austin told the Reporter. \u201cEveryone is extremely welcoming and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve had a bad meal since being here! Japanese culture has a deep respect for the game of baseball, so that has been a lot of fun to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen said the Cox family is trying to figure out how to watch him on TV, and they think they can do so on Youtube. Cox joked that Monroe Countians may see him on his roof trying to point an antenna in the right direction.<\/p>\n
Getting to return to the starting rotation was one of the big benefits of jumping to Japan, said Stephen. He said baseball is huge in Japan and the locals love baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really good atmosphere,\u201d said Stephen. \u201cIt\u2019s really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen said his son likes that he gets to eat lots of Wagu beef and sushi in the Far East.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s eating really well,\u201d laughed Stephen.<\/p>\n
Cox, who turned 29 on Saturday, signed a 2-year deal with the BayStars in the Central League, one of two top circuits in Japanese professional baseball. The BayStars are based in Yokohama and play their home games at Yokohama Stadium, just south of Tokyo.<\/p>\n
The move overseas followed Cox\u2019s winding career in professional baseball in the United States. Cox was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals out of Mercer University. He made his major league debut with Kansas City in 2023 and immediately etched his name into the record book by not allowing a hit to any of the first 39 batters he faced, a modern MLB record spanning multiple relief appearances.<\/p>\n
Cox also opened his career with a 14.1-inning scoreless and homerless streak, ranking among the longest such starts in Royals history. Over parts of three seasons between Kansas City and Atlanta, he logged 57 big league innings, compiling a 6.16 ERA with a 21.9 percent strikeout rate and a strong ground-ball profile.<\/p>\n
After being outrighted by the Braves in November of 2025, Cox elected to continue his career in Japan. He and the BayStars opened the 2026 season last week, Cox had not yet appeared through the team\u2019s first series but is expected to start April 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Japanese baseball offers a markedly different experience from the American game. While Major League Baseball often emphasizes power, star-driven lineups, and a faster pace, NPB is known for its attention to fundamentals, strategy, and teamwork.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Small-ball tactics such as bunting and hit-and-run plays are more common, and training routines tend to be longer and more regimented. The fan experience is also distinct, featuring organized cheering sections and coordinated chants that continue throughout the game. And they don\u2019t play on Mondays.<\/p>\n
For Cox, whose baseball roots run deep in Middle Georgia, the opportunity represents both a fresh start and a chance to test his skills in one of the world\u2019s most respected baseball leagues\u2014while carrying a bit of home with him to Japan.<\/p>\n
Stephen said Austin\u2019s wife and son will join him in Japan shortly. He said they plan to come home in November, as Visas require regular trips back to the U.S.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For a Forsyth native who started at the Monroe County Rec Department in 2001 and went on to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":657621,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2302],"tags":[5,169,2353,2352],"class_list":{"0":"post-657620","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-npb","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-nippon-professional-baseball","11":"tag-npb"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116331986761337286","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/657621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}