Loux attended Stratford High School in Houston, Texas, where he played for the school's baseball team. While pitching for Stratford, Loux dealt with arm injuries.[1] He discovered stretching exercises that increased his strength and flexibility.[2]
In 2008, as a true freshman, Loux had an 8–2 win–loss record and led Texas A&M in strikeouts with 81.[4] Loux was named a Second Team NCAA Division I Freshman All-Americanstarting pitcher. As a sophomore, Loux pitched to a 3–3 record with 62 strikeouts.[4] He was named a Second Team Academic All-Big 12 pitcher.[6] After the season, Loux had elbow surgery.[2]
In his junior season, Loux routinely started on Friday nights, traditionally the night when a team's ace pitcher appears.[7] He pitched to an 11–2 win–loss record with a 2.83 earned run average (ERA), while leading the Big 12 Conference with 136 strikeouts.[8] He was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week for the weeks ending on March 8 and May 17.[9][10] He was named a First Team NCAA Division I All-American by Baseball America, a Third Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association, and a Big 12 Conference All-Star starting pitcher.[8][11][12] He was also named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.[13]
Professional career
Arizona Diamondbacks organization
Heading into the 2010 MLB draft, Loux was seen as a potential late-first round pick.[5] Surprising many, the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Loux with the sixth overall selection, agreeing to a pre-draft deal with Loux with a $2 million signing bonus.[14] However, Loux failed his physical with the Diamondbacks due to a torn labrum and elbow damage that doctors felt might require ligament replacement surgery in the future.[14][15] As a result, the Diamondbacks did not offer Loux a contract, as the franchise chose to take advantage of compensation rules that instead would grant them the seventh overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft if they did not sign Loux.[16]
Texas Rangers organization
Though unsigned draft picks typically cannot begin their professional careers until the next season, MLB declared Loux a free agent in an unprecedented move.[17][18] After throwing for scouts,[19] Loux signed a contract with the Texas Rangers, receiving a signing bonus of $312,000.[20] In an attempt to prevent this situation from happening again, the new collective bargaining agreement negotiated that winter by MLB and the MLB Players Association added clauses that included mandatory physicals for all top 200 prospects prior to the draft, and a rule that makes all future draft picks who fail a physical and do not receive an offer of at least 40 percent of the assigned value for that pick are to become free agents, with the team facing a reduction in the amount of money they can spend on their draft picks.[21]
At the 2012 trade deadline, the Rangers acquired Geovany Soto from the Chicago Cubs for Jake Brigham; however, the Cubs were concerned about Brigham's health and agreed to the trade on the condition that if Brigham was unable to play, the Cubs would send Brigham back to the Rangers and acquire Loux and a player to be named later in his place. On November 20, 2012, with Brigham experiencing an elbow injury, Loux was traded to the Cubs.[24]
Loux pitched for the Iowa Cubs of the Triple–APacific Coast League in 2013.[2] He suffered a shoulder injury and underwent Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the 2014 season.[25] In 2015, Loux experienced an elbow injury after making three starts for Iowa,[26] and was released on July 17, 2015.[27]
Loux throws four pitches, of which he considers his fastball to be his best.[29] It can reach 94 miles per hour (151 km/h).[2] He also throws a curveball, a slider, and a changeup.[29]
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