Texas Rangers Pitching Prospect From Area High School Proving Worth in Arizona Fall League

One of the Texas Rangers’ top 30 prospects is putting together a strong month in the Arizona Fall League.

Mar 15, 2024; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; General view of a Texas Rangers hat, glove, and glasses prior to a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Right-handed pitcher Josh Stephan has worked his way through the Texas Rangers’ organization to the point where he’s emerged as one of their top 30 prospects.

He’s putting together a performance in the Arizona Fall League that will only cement that status.

Through Sunday’s action, he leads the AFL in innings with 9 2/3 and has a 1.93 ERA with nine strikeouts and two walks. Last weekend, he threw 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for Surprise while striking out five and walking one.

Stephan, an undrafted free agent in the system since 2021, missed a portion of this year with elbow inflammation. In 12 games (11 starts), he was 2-5 with a 4.94 ERA, including 55 strikeouts and 17 walks in 581/3 innings.

He’s working as a reliever thanks in part to a significant number of top prospects in the AFL. The Rangers wanted him to get more work after missing half the season with Double-A Frisco.

He was one of 17 high school players signed as undrafted free agents after the five-round MLB Draft in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. The Stephen F. Austin commit, who played high school baseball at South Grand Prairie in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, signed a $20,000 bonus to start his pro career the following season.

In 2021, Stephan combined to go 202 with a 5.18 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) with the Rangers’ Arizona Complex League rookie team and Class-A Down East. He had 50 strikeouts and 16 walks.

In 2022, he split time between Down East and High-A Hickory, going a combined 6-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 21 games (19 starts). He struck out 115 and walked 31. In 2023, he earned a promotion to Double-A Frisco after going a combined 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA in 13 games (12 starts), with 78 strikeouts and 13 walks in 66 2/3 innings.

Another Rangers top 30 pitching prospect out in the AFL is Skylar Hales, their fourth-round pick in 2023. The Santa Clara product reached Frisco and became one of the system’s best relievers. He pitched in 44 games, going 4-0 with a 3.18 ERA, including 66 strikeouts and 17 walks in 56 2/3 innings. He had 10 saves in 11 chances, along with eight holds.

Hales has given up five runs in three appearances over 1 2/3 innings.