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Chicago White Sox REVISED Top 10 Prospects For 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Apr 17, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox hat in the dugout before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox hat in the dugout before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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9. Jordan Stephens, RHP

Birthdate: 9/12/92 (24 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: high A
Stats in 2016: 141 IP, 3.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 8.16 BB%, 26.36 K%

Stephens is in line to put an end to the perception of Rice pitchers being poor choices in the draft after being a 5th round selection in 2015. The White Sox handled him gently in 2015 after a heavy workload with Rice, letting him only work short outings.

The gloves came off this season in the Carolina League as Stephens went deep in most of his starts, making 27 starts and from the 10th of May to the end of the season, he only had one start where he failed to complete the 5th inning, so he went deep each time out with solid results.

He may not have front-line sort of stuff, but Stephens should work well in the middle/back of a rotation

Stephens has a solid repertoire of pitches, with a fastball that sits in the low 90s, touching 96 with good plane when he stays on top of the pitch. His best pitch is a curve that gets tremendous depth, generating both swing and miss and weak contact. He throws a hybrid cutter/slider that took a big step forward in 2016 to be an above-average pitch. Finally, he has a change that still needs work as he struggles to get on top of the pitch in the same way he does his fastball, so it’s fairly easily picked up.

Stephens has some medical history to worry about, so the White Sox will need to be attentive to keeping his arm protected, but with his excellent control and solid pitch mix, Stephens is able to keep hitters off balance and guessing.

He may not have front-line sort of stuff, but Stephens should work well in the middle/back of a rotation with his pitch mix. He’ll get a bump to AA next year, and that will be an interesting progression for his stuff against advanced-level hitters.

Next: #8

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