Texas native, Trevor Stephan, made the full-time switch to the mound in junior college, having spent high school primarily playing first base. He struggled his freshman year, but managed to find his groove his sophomore year. The Red Sox drafted him in the 18th round of the 2016 draft, but Stephan decided to transfer to the University of Arkansas, where he hd 2.87 ERA in 16 tarts, along with 120 Ks. This caught the eyes of the Yankees, who drafted him in the third round in 2017. He signed for $797,500 and is moving quickly through the Yankees’ system.
Name: Trevor Stephan Birthdate: November 25, 1995 Position: Pitcher Bats/Throws: R/R Height: 6’5” Weight: 225
Stephan had a solid professional debut, playing one game in the Gulf Coast League and ten with Staten Island. He put up a 1.31 ERA and struck out 44 batters over 34.1 innings, walking just six. He held opposing batters to a .168 average. 2018 was Stephan’s first full season and he started in Tampa where he compiled a 1.98 ERA over seven starts and 41 innings. Opposing batters hit .160 off him and he struck out 49. The Yankees then promoted him to Trenton, where he found his first challenge, but continued to put up some good numbers over 17 starts. He had a 4.54 ERA in Double-A, but he also struck out 91 and walked just 29.
A lot of his success has come from a plus fastball that averages in the low/mid-90s, peaking at 97. While the velocity is nice, the pitch has good deception and he can locate it on both sides of the plate. Stephan used to throw a curveball, but he has gotten rid of that in favor of a slider/cutter. The pitch is a work in progress, but shows great promise and works well with his fastball. He also has a changeup he is working on.
While Stephan has risen quickly through the ranks during his professional career, he won’t be able to rely as much on his fastball now that he has reached the upper levels. As he continues to fine tune his secondary pitches, however, he will certainly be an exciting prospect to watch over the next couple seasons.
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