Rangers’ Josh Stephan Looks Like Another Unearthed Gem
Righthander Josh Stephan said he has thought about playing a little closer to home, which in the Rangers organization could mean a few locations.
Foremost would be Globe Life Field, which is about 20 minutes from where Stephan grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas. Triple-A Round Rock is about three hours away.
There’s also Double-A Frisco, which is roughly 45 minutes from his home. It’s also Stephan’s latest stop as the 21-year-old ascends the minor league ladder
To earn the promotion, Stephan recorded a 2.17 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 12 walks in 62.1 innings for High-A Hickory.
The righthander throws strikes as well as anyone in the organization. Through his first 66.2 innings, Stephan had walked just 13 batters.
The Rangers have taken their time with Stephan, who signed out of South Grand Prairie High as an undrafted free agent after the five-round 2020 draft rather than attend Stephen F. Austin. He could have gone to college and developed into a draft-worthy pitcher, but he wanted to get his career going.
The success traces back to an offseason of introspection.
“I didn’t really have a pitching coach,” Stephan said. “It was just more of me feeling myself out and what I knew I needed to work on. I felt I needed to work on my posture and stride direction, and once I cleaned all of that stuff up, it helped my zone percentage with all my pitches.”
Stephan didn’t throw hard in high school, but he quickly added 4-5 mph once the pandemic cleared and he was able to get into the Rangers’ program.
“I felt like it was the right decision for me,” Stephan said. “It’s just holding yourself to a higher standard. I want to be around these guys, and I want to be with the best.”
RANGERS ROUNDUP
— Outfielder Anthony Gutierrez returned to Low-A Down East in mid June after missing time with a bruised elbow stemming from a headfirst slide into home plate. He was dispatched to extended spring training in Arizona to recover and also to work on some mechanical adjustments.
