Joshua Tyler Staumont (born December 21, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019.
Amateur career
Staumont attended La Habra High School in La Habra, California and played college baseball at Biola University and Azusa Pacific University. In 2014, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League, winning a league title with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft and became one of the highest selected players from Azusa Pacific.
Professional career
Minor leagues
Staumont made his professional debut in 2015 with the Arizona League Royals and was later promoted to the Idaho Falls Chukars; in 18 combined games between both teams, he went 3–1 with a 2.48 ERA. In 2016, Staumont pitched for both the Wilmington Blue Rocks and Northwest Arkansas Naturals, pitching to a combined 4–11 record and 4.23 ERA in 29 total games (26 total starts) between both teams. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League.
Staumont spent 2017 with both Northwest Arkansas and the Omaha Storm Chasers where he went 6–12 with a 5.56 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 124.2 total innings pitched between the two clubs. In 2018, he pitched for Omaha, going 2–5 with a 3.51 ERA in 74.1 innings pitched, mainly in relief. The Royals added Staumont to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season. He returned to Omaha to begin 2019.
Kansas City Royals
On July 20, 2019, the Royals promoted Staumont to the major leagues. He made his major league debut on July 25, pitching two scoreless innings in relief. In 16 games during his rookie campaign, Staumont pitched to a 3.72 ERA with 15 strikeouts. In 2020, he was 2–1 with a 2.45 ERA. Balls hit off of him had the highest average exit velocity of those hit off of any major league pitcher, at 94.4 mph.
In 2021, Staumont was 4–3 with a 2.88 ERA and 72 strikeouts and 5 saves in innings. Staumont made 42 appearances for Kansas City in 2022, but struggled to a 3–3 record and 6.45 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 3 saves in 37.2 innings pitched.
Staumont was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2023 season. After being recalled in mid–April, Staumont logged a 5.40 ERA in 21 appearances before he was placed on the injured list with a neck strain on June 7. After suffering a setback in his recovery, Staumont was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 14. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Staumont would undergo season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.
Personal life
Staumont and his wife, Angelina, married in January 2019.