Cincinnati Reds: Grading Robert Stephenson’s bounce back season

Over his career, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Robert Stephenson has struggled to be a starter. In 2019, however, it looks like he found a home in the bullpen.

Former first-round pick Robert Stephenson has struggled to live up to the hype since he debuted with the Cincinnati Reds in 2016. He has shown flashes, but inconsistencies have led to many fans questioning if he would ever develop into a major league starter. While he hasn’t done that, Stephenson found a home in the bullpen this season.

Stephenson’s inconsistency has long-since stemmed from his lack of command and the number of walks he allows. This issue has plagued Stephenson throughout his entire professional career, especially after his first two seasons in the minors.

Robert Stephenson was one of the final players to make the cut coming out of spring training. At the time, I assumed there was no way that Stephenson would make the roster and probably be designated for assignment or traded since he was out of minor league options.

In his first season as a full-time reliever in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen, Robert Stephenson has a 3.82 ERA, 3.68 FIP and a 120 ERA+, meaning he was 20% better than the league average. Stephenson seemed to get his command issues under control, as he has walked only 24 batters in 63.2 innings. Stephenson has also struck out 80 opposing hitters this season.

Stephenson cutting his BB9, which through his first three seasons in the big leagues was 6.5, down to 3.4 this year is flat-out amazing. Not only that, but his strikeouts per 9 has improved as from 8.4 strikeouts per nine to 11.4 this season.

I thought Stephenson would be no more than a long relief option out of the bullpen. This was the case for a good portion of the season, but as the year went on, David Bell began using Stephenson when the stakes were high.

The improvements Stephenson made this season has elevated his role on the Cincinnati Reds. Whereas he used to be though of as liability when he toed the rubber, Stephenson is now counted on during key moments late in the game. One has to assume that pitching coach Derek Johnson probably had a lot to do with Stephenson’s transformation.

While Stephenson was originally drafted out of high school to be an elite-level starting pitcher, things don’t always work out as planned. Look at former starter turned reliever Andrew Miller. After five failed seasons as a starting pitcher, Miller found a home in the bullpen and has been regarded as one of the more dominant relievers in the game.

After the success we’ve seen this season from Robert Stephenson, I feel confident in his ability to join Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett and Raisel Iglesias in the back of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen hading into the 2020 season.

It’s nice to see a player like Stephenson, who’s had so many struggles throughout his professional career, finally have a season that he can look at as a success. Stephenson gets an A in my book for his performance this season.