Cincinnati Reds’ Robert Stephenson finally looks like an MLB pitcher

After a year of searching for starting pitching, the Cincinnati Reds may finally have one in Robert Stephenson.

Robert Stephenson started the year in the bullpen for the Cincinnati Reds behind the rotation of Scott Feldman, Brandon Finnegan, Rookie Davis, Amir Garrett, and Bronson Arroyo.  None of those starters are still active for the Reds.  Davis and Garrett may come back up in September, but the other three are out for the year.

The other nine pitchers to start a game for the Cincinnati Reds are Tim Adleman, Luis Castillo, Homer Bailey, Sal Romano, Asher Wojciechowski, Lisalverto Bonilla, Tyler Mahle, Cody Reed and Jackson Stephens.  Bonilla has been waived and Bailey has been awful.  The other seven have been somewhere in between good and bad.

As a reliever, Stephenson owns at ERA of 7.43.  He went 0-2 with one save before the Reds optioned him down to Louisville.  He pitched in 14 games covering 26 ⅔ innings.

Stephenson allowed 33 hits in those 14 games, resultng in 22 earned runs.  He also struck out 30, while walking 17.  The talent was evident, but the results were sub-par.

When he first transitioned to starting, the results were not spectacular.  His first two starts back, Stephenson went a total of 9 ⅔ innings allowing 8 earned runs.  He also walked 9 and struck out only seven batters.

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When the calendar rolled to August, Robert Stephenson suddenly became a viable starter for the Cincinnati Reds.

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In August Stephenson made four starts and one relief appearance.  He went 3-0 with an ERA of 2.22.  That’s right, Stephenson had an ERA under 3.00.

In his four starts Stephenson averaged 5 ⅔ innings per start using 90 pitches per start on average.  In his one relief appearance, he threw 33 pitches to get through two innings.  Those are sustainable numbers.

Stephenson’s strikeouts didn’t go down.  He struck out 28 batters in August, while walking out 13.  That is not a good ratio, but is better than Stephenson had earlier in the year.

In Stephenson’s two July starts he allowed three home runs.  In all of August he only allowed one.  This has been a major issue for the Reds’ staff for the last two years.

Stephenson is a microcosm of the Reds’ pitching prospects.  He walks too many and allows too many home runs.  The talent is evident, but so are the issues.  The question is whether he really deserved to start.

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Stephenson has been the Reds’ top pitching prospect since they selected him in the first round back in 2011.  He got a cup of coffee in 2016 when he looked close without being ready.  Finally, in August, Stephenson may be here to stay.