Mississippi State's Stephen shines in Minor League Debut

Former Mississippi State pitcher Khal Stephen tossed five shutout innings in his minor league debut for the Dunedin Blue Jays on Friday

Mississippi State pitcher Khal Stephen (14) pitches against Ole Miss at Swayze Field in Oxford, Miss., on Friday, Apr. 12, 2024. | Bruce Newman/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former Mississippi State pitcher Khal Stephen might have had to wait a calendar year to make his minor league debut, but one thing is for certain, he didn't disappoint.

Stephen made his minor league debut on Friday with the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Toronto Blue Jays' Single-A Affiliate, and all he did was toss five scoreless innings.

Blue Jays No. 11 prospect Khal Stephen DEALT in his professional debut🔥

5️⃣ IP | 0️⃣ R | 2️⃣ H | 1️⃣ BB | 6️⃣ K pic.twitter.com/dXgM2r1Ptz

— Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) April 5, 2025

Does it stink that the former Bulldog had to settle for a no-decision and that his team lost? Sure it does. But remember, the minor leagues aren't about wins and losses. They're about development, and so far, Stephen is one step ahead of the curve.

Stephen struck out the side to begin his pro career and showed solid command -- 46 strikes on 69 pitches. Stephen added three more punchouts to finish with six on the night, but no runs on a pair of hits and a walk in your minor league debut is excellent no matter who you are or how high you were drafted.

Welcome to pro ball, Khal Stephen!

The @BlueJays' 2024 second-rounder tallies six strikeouts over five scoreless innings for the Single-A @DunedinBlueJays. pic.twitter.com/H70LW7vjyp

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 5, 2025

Expect Stephen's pitch count to go up a little in his next start, but so far, so good. Stephen was Toronto's second round draft choice (No. 59 overall) last year, and the second of Mississippi State's program-record-tying 11 players taken in last year's draft.