Hard-Throwing Reliver Becker Joins Monarchs

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A flamethrowing reliever is set to join the Kansas City Monarchs in a pivotal playoff push.

The Monarchs announced the signing of 25-year-old right-hander Austin Becker Sunday afternoon. Becker is eligible for his Kansas City debut against the Sioux Falls Canaries at 1:05 p.m.

Kansas City enters Sunday with a 42-32 record. The Monarchs are six games back of the best record in the American Association.

Becker joins the Monarchs from the Colorado Rockies organization. He delivered an impressive 32 strikeouts in 27.1 innings for the High-A Spokane Indians this season.

“He has high velocity with a good breaking ball,” said Monarchs eighth-year manager Joe Calfapietra. “That combination has given him a high strikeout rate. We think that combination can be effective here.”

Becker’s mid 90s fastball helped him rack up a career-best 46 strikeouts in the Rockies’ system this season.

A Westerville, Ohio native, Becker was drafted in the 16th round in 2022. He quickly showed how volatile his stuff was with an 11.4 K/9 in his first season within the organization for the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies.

Calfapietra compared the former Texas Tech Red Raider to a fellow Monarchs reliever: Jeff Hakanson. Hakanson joined the Monarchs from High-A Bowling Green in August 2024 and quickly emerged as the team’s closer. He’s now delivered an impressive 3.43 ERA in 2025.

“It’s around the same kind of time frame when we added Hakanson,” Calfapietra said.

“If Becker works out and gives us what Hakanson gave us last year, I’d be very happy.”
Becker was the No. 1 recruit in Ohio by Perfect Game’s Class of 2018. He spent time at Vanderbilt before transferring to Tech in 2020.

Injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic limited his time in the NCAA.