Khal

Stephen

The fourth-ranked prospect in Cleveland’s system per MLB Pipeline, Stephen will wind up missing a significant portion of next year given the timing of the procedure. It’s unknown whether he’ll require a full Tommy John ligament replacement or a less-invasive internal brace procedure until the surgery is performed. The 23-year-old came over in the Shane Bieber trade with the Blue Jays last summer and has posted a 3.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 49/23 K/BB ratio across 55 innings for Double-A Akron this season.

The 22-year-old was the Blue Jays’ fifth-ranked prospect and was recently promoted to Double-A. On the season, he has a 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 99/18 K/BB ratio in 91 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A. He’s 6'4" with a fastball that can run up to 96 mph and a plus changeup. If he can also develop a solid breaking ball, Stephen could be a difference-making starter at the big league level.