Stephenson threw his name in the 2011 draft hat with a big splash, tossing back-to-back no-hitters to start the season, including a 20-strikeout performance in his second no-no. The 6’3″ right-hander became only the 31st prep pitcher in California history to throw back-to-back no-hitters.
Stephenson also has 12- and 14- strikeout performances on the season, and although his official statistics can’t be found anywhere on the Internet, he has racked up at least 46 strikeouts on the season in nearly half that number of innings.
Stephenson checked in at number-48 on Baseball America’s Mid-Season Top-50 Prospects list for the 2011 MLB Draft, and currently projects as a late first-round or early second-round pick.
He doesn’t feature the best velocity, but he does some of the best polish and command of any high-schooler available this year. He also boasts a bevy of off-speed pitches which have made him incredibly hard to hit. Just this year alone, he has thrown a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a changeup, slider, splitter, and cutter.
I know what you’re thinking…no curveball?
Stephenson feels comfortable throwing all of his pitches at any given time, but it’s likely he’ll be forced to scrap a few upon joining the professional ranks.
For now, though, he’s free to use them to aid his draft stock in any way possible.
