The Reds selected Stephenson in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft with the 27th overall pick, making him a prospective first-round pick.
First high school athlete selected in the first round since Devin Mesoraco in 2007, and first prep school pitcher in the first round since Homer Bailey in 2004.
The Reds reportedly paid Stephenson a $2 million signing bonus to sign with them. In 2012, Baseball America ranked Stephenson as one of the Reds’ top ten prospects, despite the fact that he had yet to make his professional debut.
Stephenson was in extended spring training to begin the 2012 season.
On June 19, 2012, Stephenson made his professional baseball debut with the Rookie Pioneer League team Billings Mustangs.
There were no walks and eight strikeouts in five innings of work. Stephenson had a 2.05 earned run average in seven games with Billings, allowing only 22 hits and eight walks in 30+23 innings of work while striking out 37 batters.
Stephenson was promoted to the Dayton Dragons of the Class A Midwest League by the Reds in July. Steve Stephenson had a 4.19 earned run average and 35 strikeouts in eight starts for Dayton.
Stephenson was sent to Dayton by the Reds to begin the 2013 season.
On July 18, he was promoted to the Bakersfield Blaze of the Class A-Advanced California League after a 5-3 record and a 2.57 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 77 innings.
The Reds quickly advanced Stephenson to the Class AA Southern League’s Pensacola Blue Wahoos in August after he went 2–2 with a 3.05 ERA in two starts with Bakersfield.
General manager Walt Jocketty said the team wanted to “speed track” Stephenson, who he described as “quite impressive.”
When Was Robert Stephenson Drafted?
Robert Stephenson was drafted in 2011. The Reds picked Stephenson with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, after being projected to go in the first round.