Toronto Blue Jays prospect Khal Stephen continues to impress at the High-A level. The 2024 second-rounder threw six innings of one-run ball in his most recent start. This season at High-A Vancouver, he sports a 1.49 ERA through nine starts. The Blue Jays’ farm system currently has several glorified prospects who will be compelling to see once they reach the majors. With Single-A Dunedin, Stephen had a 3-0 record and a 2.06 ERA with only one home run and seven walks surrendered across 39 1/3 innings.
Blue Jays Prospect Khal Stephen Dominating In High-A
Stephen’s Upside for Blue Jays
The 23-year-old should be expected to move up to Double-A soon. His performance yesterday was impressive, yet another magnificent showing from the No. 9 Blue Jays prospect. Stephen logged his team-best fifth quality start for the Vancouver Canadians. Stephen is having a phenomenal start to his rookie year in the minors. After tossing a six-inning start and giving up only two hits and no runs, the highly-touted prospect is now 9-1 with a 1.75 ERA in 16 starts. He has also recorded 97 strikeouts and 17 walks across 87 2/3 innings.
Khal Stephen keeps spinning gems at High-A ?
The @BlueJays‘ 2024 second-rounder spins 6 innings of one-run ball, sporting a 1.49 ERA through 9 @vancanadians starts. pic.twitter.com/IBYk4YXmSO
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 12, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Blue Jays Future Rotation In Flux
The Blue Jays lack depth when it comes to starting pitching. But their future rotation looks solid with Trey Yesavage, who will likely pitch in the majors next season if all goes well. Stephen’s dominant performance this season has made him an exciting prospect in the Jays’ farm system. Yes, his arsenal is deep, and the Blue Jays have faith in his four MLB-caliber pitches. But how his fastball and changeup work together is what makes him stand out.
Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and José Berríos could all be on different teams next season. With the rotation potentially looking massively different in 2026, Stephen and Yesavage could set an example on the staff if they play their cards right.
Combined with his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, Stephen is a pitcher who deserves more praise. About a week ago, he was named the Northwest League (High-A) Pitcher of the Month for June. That month, he sported a 0.95 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 28 1/3 innings.
While veteran arms are nice to have, having young talent in a rotation can be essential to staying competitive as well. Having a balanced rotation with both experienced and young, fresh talent is a nice luxury to have. The Blue Jays’ rotation is filled with veterans and could use fresh arms. They have a knack for nurturing young talent, the latest examples being Davis Schneider, Addison Barger, Alan Roden, and Will Wagner. It will be exciting to see how these youngsters continue to perform, especially when they hit their prime. In Barger’s case, he is already playing like an All-Star, taking a big leap forward this season.
Main Photo Credit: © Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
The post Blue Jays Pitching Prospect Tearing it Up at High-A appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.