Track Record:

After beginning his college career as a reliever at Hill (Texas) JC, Stephan transferred to Arkansas and pitched in the rotation as a junior. His stuff ticked up with the Razorbacks, which led the Yankees to draft him with their third-round selection and sign him for $797.500. He began his first pro season at high Class A Tampa in 2018 before jumping to Double-A Trenton in late May.

Scouting Report: Stephan pitches primarily with a fastball and a slider, and worked hard in 2018 to improve his changeup. His fastball, which sits in the low-to-mid 90s, shows the type of riding life through the zone that the Yankees covet. He backs that pitch up with an above-average, sweeping slider that he uses to get strikeouts. His changeup needs more repetition, but the organization believes it can be solid-average with improvement. He delivers from a funky, low-slot delivery that adds deception. Stephan worked with pitching coordinator Scott Aldred this year to change his release point and help him stay on top of the baseball throughout his delivery.

The Future: There’s still a split camp about whether Stephan’s ultimate future is in the bullpen or as a starter. He’ll continue try to stay in the rotation back at Double-A Trenton in 2019.