Khal Stephen

Stephen was sent from Toronto to Cleveland in exchange for Shane Bieber at last year's deadline. A 23-year-old righty who was drafted in the second round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Stephen dominated Single-A and High-A hitters alike (1.75 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 97:17 K:BB in 87.2 innings) before earning a promotion to Double-A on July 20. He missed a month around the time of the trade with a shoulder impingement and compiled a 7.04 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB in 15.1 innings across five total starts at Double-A across the two organizations. He has a sturdy 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame. Stephen's 4.9 percent walk rate on the season illustrates his pinpoint control, and he has a full starter's repertoire, highlighted by a fastball with good carry that touches 96 miles per hour. However, he might not have a plus pitch in his arsenal and he managed just a 35.9 percent groundball rate last year, so his upside is limited barring an increase in stuff. Read Past Outlooks