Jonathan Stiever

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #21 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After making brief appearances with the White Sox in both 2020 and 2021 and despite an inconsistent 2021 season in Triple-A, Stiever would have been on target to contend for a rotation job with the big league club. Instead, a lat surgery in August 2021 and a long recovery period sidelined the righthander for most of the 2022 season. The 2018 fifth-round pick from Indiana finally got three short outings at Triple-A Charlotte near the end of September.
  
  Scouting Report: Unsurprisingly, Stiever's fastball velocity was down upon his return, but when healthy it's his best pitch and sits in the mid 90s, touching 97-98 at peak . It's easy velocity with run and average movement, thrown to both sides of the plate. His 82-84 mph slider was starting to show improvement in 2021. A mid-70s curveball had gone backward and needed to be thrown with a more consistent shape and feel to land it. He infrequently uses a changeup at 80-83 mph with heavy fade. When at his best, Stiever's athleticism allows him to repeat a low-maintenance delivery which helps him project for average control.
  
  The Future: Assuming he's fully recovered by the spring, Stiever will head to big league camp with a chance to earn a spot on the White Sox opening day roster. His ceiling is as a fourth starter, but his most likely role is as a middle reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 45. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #13 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Stiever has gotten very brief cups of coffee with the White Sox in the last two seasons but spent most of 2021 with Triple-A Charlotte, struggling with inconsistent performance. He finished the Triple-A season with a 5.82 ERA and 13 home runs yielded in 74 innings but with an encouraging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Stiever’s athleticism allows him to repeat his low-maintenance delivery as he explodes toward the plate, delivering the ball from an over-the-top slot. While his pitch mix consists of four pitches, Stiever relies heavily on his mid-90s fastball, touching 97-98, using it around 60% of the time in 2021. The pitch has easy velocity with run and average movement, and he attacks the zone and gets the heater to both sides of the plate. An improving 82-84 mph slider is his most-used secondary pitch. His 74 mph curveball has gone backward since 2019 and he needs to improve the consistency of its shape and the feel to land it. His infrequently-used changeup sits around 80-83 mph with heavy fade.
  
  The Future: Stiever will head to spring training looking to land a spot on the Opening Day roster. His ceiling is as a fourth starter, but his heavy fastball-slider mix would work well in a relief role.
  
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #7 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 45.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Stiever spent two years at the front of Indiana’s rotation and was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round in 2018. He broke out with 154 strikeouts in 145 innings in his first full season in 2019 as he conquered both Class A levels. The White Sox brought him to their alternate training site in 2020 and he made his major league debut Sept. 13 with a start against the Tigers.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever has an average fastball that sits 92-93 mph and touches 95, but what separates him is his breaking pitches. His curveball is a true downer at 73-77 mph with nearly five feet of drop and has a chance to be plus, while his 83-86 mph slider has sharper vertical bite and should be at least above-average. He did not command either pitch particularly well in the majors, but both have a chance to be out pitches if he can land them in the strike zone consistently. Stiever’s mid-80s changeup is a work in progress but has a chance to be average. The White Sox have worked with Stiever to stay through his delivery and work downhill. The improvements give him a chance at fringe-average control.
  
  THE FUTURE: Stiever will open 2021 back in the minors. He has back-of-the-rotation potential if he can harness command of his secondaries.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #6 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After a nondescript pro debut in his draft year, Stiever was the organization's biggest breakout story in 2019. He dominated both levels of Class A and finished with 154 strikeouts, which ranked second in the system. He turned it on in particular when he got to high Class A Winston-Salem, where he went 6-4, 2.15 with 77 strikeouts in 71 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever's signature pitch is his fastball, which sears in at 92-97 mph with regularity. He backs it up with a pair of breaking balls that each have a chance to reach above-average with further consistency. His changeup is well behind his breaking balls but provides a bit of a wrinkle at times. The power associated with his arsenal also gives him a larger margin of error than is typically afforded to pitchers whose repertoire rely more on finesse. If he doesn't have his best command on a given day, he can rely on his fastball to simply blow hitters away. He controls his arsenal well despite a high-effort delivery that features a head-whack.
  
  THE FUTURE: Evaluators see a forked path ahead for Stiever. If one of his breaking pitches steps forward, he's got a good chance to a be a high-value starter. If not, he could provide value as a setup man who dominates hitters with his fastball. He'll head to Double-A Birmingham in 2020.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #125 prospect in 2018 draft
  A control-oriented righthander who has been a two-year Friday night starter for Indiana, Stiever is having his best season for the Hoosiers, with his strikeout rate ticking up significantly this spring. After striking out just 57 batters in 77 innings (6.63 K/9) during his first season as the Friday night starter in 2016, Stiever fanned 87 batters in 84.2 innings (9.25 K/9) through his first 13 games this spring. His stuff hasn't taken a noticeable jump, but he has a great feel for a three-pitch mix that includes a fastball in the low 90s, a hard, spike-grip breaking ball in the low 80s and developing feel for an average changeup. His fastball can reach up to 95 mph at its best and it has slight arm side movement and occasional sink. Stiever is a solid athlete and repeats his release point consistently, which has allowed him to walk fewer than two batters per nine innings through parts of three seasons with Indiana. Because Stiever is so frequently in the zone, some scouts wonder if he's too hittable. None of his pitches are plus offerings, although his breaking ball comes the closest as it occasionally shows 55 grades, and he's allowed close to nine hits per nine innings in the Big 10. Last summer in the Cape Cod League, Stiever posted a 4.45 ERA in 28.1 innings, working mostly as a reliever, with 25 strikeouts and just two walks.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After making brief appearances with the White Sox in both 2020 and 2021 and despite an inconsistent 2021 season in Triple-A, Stiever would have been on target to contend for a rotation job with the big league club. Instead, a lat surgery in August 2021 and a long recovery period sidelined the righthander for most of the 2022 season. The 2018 fifth-round pick from Indiana finally got three short outings at Triple-A Charlotte near the end of September.
  
  Scouting Report: Unsurprisingly, Stiever's fastball velocity was down upon his return, but when healthy it's his best pitch and sits in the mid 90s, touching 97-98 at peak . It's easy velocity with run and average movement, thrown to both sides of the plate. His 82-84 mph slider was starting to show improvement in 2021. A mid-70s curveball had gone backward and needed to be thrown with a more consistent shape and feel to land it. He infrequently uses a changeup at 80-83 mph with heavy fade. When at his best, Stiever's athleticism allows him to repeat a low-maintenance delivery which helps him project for average control.
  
  The Future: Assuming he's fully recovered by the spring, Stiever will head to big league camp with a chance to earn a spot on the White Sox opening day roster. His ceiling is as a fourth starter, but his most likely role is as a middle reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 45. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After making brief appearances with the White Sox in both 2020 and 2021 and despite an inconsistent 2021 season in Triple-A, Stiever would have been on target to contend for a rotation job with the big league club. Instead, a lat surgery in August 2021 and a long recovery period sidelined the righthander for most of the 2022 season. The 2018 fifth-round pick from Indiana finally got three short outings at Triple-A Charlotte near the end of September.
  
  Scouting Report: Unsurprisingly, Stiever's fastball velocity was down upon his return, but when healthy it's his best pitch and sits in the mid 90s, touching 97-98 at peak . It's easy velocity with run and average movement, thrown to both sides of the plate. His 82-84 mph slider was starting to show improvement in 2021. A mid-70s curveball had gone backward and needed to be thrown with a more consistent shape and feel to land it. He infrequently uses a changeup at 80-83 mph with heavy fade. When at his best, Stiever's athleticism allows him to repeat a low-maintenance delivery which helps him project for average control.
  
  The Future: Assuming he's fully recovered by the spring, Stiever will head to big league camp with a chance to earn a spot on the White Sox opening day roster. His ceiling is as a fourth starter, but his most likely role is as a middle reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 45. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Stiever has gotten very brief cups of coffee with the White Sox in the last two seasons but spent most of 2021 with Triple-A Charlotte, struggling with inconsistent performance. He finished the Triple-A season with a 5.82 ERA and 13 home runs yielded in 74 innings but with an encouraging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Stiever&#39s athleticism allows him to repeat his low-maintenance delivery as he explodes toward the plate, delivering the ball from an over-the-top slot. While his pitch mix consists of four pitches, Stiever relies heavily on his mid-90s fastball, touching 97-98, using it around 60% of the time in 2021. The pitch has easy velocity with run and average movement, and he attacks the zone and gets the heater to both sides of the plate. An improving 82-84 mph slider is his most-used secondary pitch. His 74 mph curveball has gone backward since 2019 and he needs to improve the consistency of its shape and the feel to land it. His infrequently-used changeup sits around 80-83 mph with heavy fade.
  
  The Future: Stiever will head to spring training looking to land a spot on the Opening Day roster. His ceiling is as a fourth starter, but his heavy fastball-slider mix would work well in a relief role.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Stiever has gotten very brief cups of coffee with the White Sox in the last two seasons but spent most of 2021 with Triple-A Charlotte, struggling with inconsistent performance. He finished the Triple-A season with a 5.82 ERA and 13 home runs yielded in 74 innings but with an encouraging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Stiever’s athleticism allows him to repeat his low-maintenance delivery as he explodes toward the plate, delivering the ball from an over-the-top slot. While his pitch mix consists of four pitches, Stiever relies heavily on his mid-90s fastball, touching 97-98, using it around 60% of the time in 2021. The pitch has easy velocity with run and average movement, and he attacks the zone and gets the heater to both sides of the plate. An improving 82-84 mph slider is his most-used secondary pitch. His 74 mph curveball has gone backward since 2019 and he needs to improve the consistency of its shape and the feel to land it. His infrequently-used changeup sits around 80-83 mph with heavy fade.
  
  The Future: Stiever will head to spring training looking to land a spot on the Opening Day roster. His ceiling is as a fourth starter, but his heavy fastball-slider mix would work well in a relief role.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 45.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Stiever spent two years at the front of Indiana's rotation and was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round in 2018. He broke out with 154 strikeouts in 145 innings in his first full season in 2019 as he conquered both Class A levels. The White Sox brought him to their alternate training site in 2020 and he made his major league debut Sept. 13 with a start against the Tigers.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever has an average fastball that sits 92-93 mph and touches 95, but what separates him is his breaking pitches. His curveball is a true downer at 73-77 mph with nearly five feet of drop and has a chance to be plus, while his 83-86 mph slider has sharper vertical bite and should be at least above-average. He did not command either pitch particularly well in the majors, but both have a chance to be out pitches if he can land them in the strike zone consistently. Stiever's mid-80s changeup is a work in progress but has a chance to be average. The White Sox have worked with Stiever to stay through his delivery and work downhill. The improvements give him a chance at fringe-average control.
  
  THE FUTURE: Stiever will open 2021 back in the minors. He has back-of-the-rotation potential if he can harness command of his secondaries.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 45.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Stiever spent two years at the front of Indiana’s rotation and was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round in 2018. He broke out with 154 strikeouts in 145 innings in his first full season in 2019 as he conquered both Class A levels. The White Sox brought him to their alternate training site in 2020 and he made his major league debut Sept. 13 with a start against the Tigers.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever has an average fastball that sits 92-93 mph and touches 95, but what separates him is his breaking pitches. His curveball is a true downer at 73-77 mph with nearly five feet of drop and has a chance to be plus, while his 83-86 mph slider has sharper vertical bite and should be at least above-average. He did not command either pitch particularly well in the majors, but both have a chance to be out pitches if he can land them in the strike zone consistently. Stiever’s mid-80s changeup is a work in progress but has a chance to be average. The White Sox have worked with Stiever to stay through his delivery and work downhill. The improvements give him a chance at fringe-average control.
  
  THE FUTURE: Stiever will open 2021 back in the minors. He has back-of-the-rotation potential if he can harness command of his secondaries.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 45.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Stiever spent two years at the front of Indiana’s rotation and was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round in 2018. He broke out with 154 strikeouts in 145 innings in his first full season in 2019 as he conquered both Class A levels. The White Sox brought him to their alternate training site in 2020 and he made his major league debut Sept. 13 with a start against the Tigers.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever has an average fastball that sits 92-93 mph and touches 95, but what separates him is his breaking pitches. His curveball is a true downer at 73-77 mph with nearly five feet of drop and has a chance to be plus, while his 83-86 mph slider has sharper vertical bite and should be at least above-average. He did not command either pitch particularly well in the majors, but both have a chance to be out pitches if he can land them in the strike zone consistently. Stiever’s mid-80s changeup is a work in progress but has a chance to be average. The White Sox have worked with Stiever to stay through his delivery and work downhill. The improvements give him a chance at fringe-average control.
  
  THE FUTURE: Stiever will open 2021 back in the minors. He has back-of-the-rotation potential if he can harness command of his secondaries.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a nondescript pro debut in his draft year, Stiever was the organization’s biggest breakout story in 2019. He dominated both levels of Class A and finished with 154 strikeouts, which ranked second in the system. He turned it on in particular when he got to high Class A Winston-Salem, where he went 6-4, 2.15 with 77 strikeouts in 71 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever’s signature pitch is his fastball, which sears in at 92-97 mph with regularity. He backs it up with a pair of breaking balls that each have a chance to reach above-average with further consistency. His changeup is well behind his breaking balls but provides a bit of a wrinkle at times. The power associated with his arsenal also gives him a larger margin of error than is typically afforded to pitchers whose repertoire rely more on finesse. If he doesn’t have his best command on a given day, he can rely on his fastball to simply blow hitters away. He controls his arsenal well despite a high-effort delivery that features a head-whack.
  
  THE FUTURE: Evaluators see a forked path ahead for Stiever. If one of his breaking pitches steps forward, he’s got a good chance to a be a high-value starter. If not, he could provide value as a setup man who dominates hitters with his fastball. He’ll head to Double-A Birmingham in 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a nondescript pro debut in his draft year, Stiever was the organization's biggest breakout story in 2019. He dominated both levels of Class A and finished with 154 strikeouts, which ranked second in the system. He turned it on in particular when he got to high Class A Winston-Salem, where he went 6-4, 2.15 with 77 strikeouts in 71 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Stiever's signature pitch is his fastball, which sears in at 92-97 mph with regularity. He backs it up with a pair of breaking balls that each have a chance to reach above-average with further consistency. His changeup is well behind his breaking balls but provides a bit of a wrinkle at times. The power associated with his arsenal also gives him a larger margin of error than is typically afforded to pitchers whose repertoire rely more on finesse. If he doesn't have his best command on a given day, he can rely on his fastball to simply blow hitters away. He controls his arsenal well despite a high-effort delivery that features a head-whack.
  
  THE FUTURE: Evaluators see a forked path ahead for Stiever. If one of his breaking pitches steps forward, he's got a good chance to a be a high-value starter. If not, he could provide value as a setup man who dominates hitters with his fastball. He'll head to Double-A Birmingham in 2020.