New York Yankees The
New York Yankees selected Stephan in the third round, with the 92nd overall selection, of the
2017 MLB draft. and he signed for $800,000. After signing, Stephan made his professional debut for the
Gulf Coast Yankees of the
rookie–level Gulf Coast League. After one game, he was promoted to the
Staten Island Yankees of the
Low–A New York-Penn League, where he spent the remainder of the season, going 1–1 with a 1.39 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in ten games (nine starts). Stephan began the 2018 season with the
Tampa Tarpons of the
High–A Florida State League. He had a 1.98 ERA in 41 innings with 49 strikeouts to nine
walks. The Yankees promoted him to the
Trenton Thunder of the
Double–A Eastern League in May. In 24 starts between the two clubs, he was 6–9 with a 3.69 ERA. Stephan returned to Trenton to begin 2019. In 20 games (19 starts) between Trenton and Tampa, he accumulated a 4–7 record and 4.73 ERA with 91 strikeouts across 80 innings. Stephan did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Cleveland Indians / Guardians The
Cleveland Indians selected Stephan from the Yankees in the
Rule 5 draft on December 10, 2020. He made Cleveland's 2021
Opening Day roster and made his MLB debut on April 3. In 43 appearances during his rookie campaign, Stephan logged a 3-1 record and 4.41 ERA with 75 strikeouts across innings pitched. In 2022, Stephan made 66 appearances out of the
bullpen for Cleveland, compiling a 6–5 record and 2.69 ERA with 82 strikeouts and three
saves over innings, with a 1.178 WHIP. On March 30, 2023, Stephan signed a 4-year major league contract with the Guardians worth $10 million. The deal includes club options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. He made 71 appearances out of the bullpen for Cleveland, recording a 4.06 ERA with 75 strikeouts and two saves across innings pitched. On March 14, 2024, it was announced that Stephan would undergo
Tommy John surgery to repair his
UCL, ending his season. In 2025, Stephan began the year making 15 rehab appearances split between the rookie-level
Arizona Complex League Guardians, Double-A
Akron RubberDucks, and Triple-A
Columbus Clippers, in which he struggled to a 9.22 ERA with 15 strikeouts across innings of work. On August 15, 2025, Stephan was removed from the
40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Columbus. ==See also==