Robert William Stephenson...Wife’s name is Jaime…Has one daughter, Sydney...Was ranked by Baseball America as Reds top prospect for three consecutive years from 2014-16...Was also rated by the publication in 2014 as Best Pitching Prospect in Southern League along with having the Best Fastball the league...Is a 2011 graduate of Alhambra (CA) High School, where he was named the Gatorade High School Player-of-the-Year in 2011...Pitched consecutive no-hitters to open his senior year in 2011...Has two dogs: Coco, a French bulldog, and Captain, a German Shepherd...Originally signed by Reds scout Rich Bordi.
2023
Made a career-high 60 appearances between Pirates and Rays…Opened season on 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation before being activated April 14...Pitched to a 5.14 ERA (14.0IP - 8 ER) in 18 appearances with Pirates before being traded June 3 to Rays in exchange for INF Alika Williams...Posted a 2.35 ERA (38.1IP - 10 ER) in 42 games with Tampa Bay...After joining Rays, led Majors with a 50.8 pct. whiff rate over the remainder of the season (min. 100 pitches swung at)…Marked highest whiff rate by a Rays pitcher in pitch tracking era (since 2008) under the same parameter...On the season, 24.8% of his pitches resulted in swinging strikes…Marked second-highest swinging strike rate by a pitcher (min. 50 IP) since the statistic was first tracked in 2002 (Sports Info Solutions), trailing Houston's Brad Lidge in 2004 (25.1%)...Held right-handed batters to a .143 (17/119) average, which was the sixth-lowest mark in Majors (min. 100 AB)...From July 6-Aug. 27, strung together 34 straight hitless at-bats against right-handed batters, a streak that concluded with a Jake Burger double for Miami Aug. 29…The streak tied Chris Archer (July 14 - Aug. 2, 2013) for longest streak in Rays history...Added a cutter to his arsenal after joining Rays, holding opponents to a .101 (8/79) average on the pitch over the remainder of the season…His 59.9% whiff rate on the offering was the highest on any Major League pitch (min. 150 pitches swung at)...Recorded at least one strikeout in each of his final 18 appearances from Aug. 11 through the end of the season, the longest active run among relievers in 2023...Pitched to a 0.93 ERA (9.2 IP - 1ER) with 17 strikeouts against one walk across final 11 appearances...On Sept. 2 at Cleveland, struck out the side on nine pitches in the 10th inning, but the Rays intentionally walked Andrés Giménez (third batter of inning)…According to Elias Sports Bureau, while there is no “official” definition of an immaculate inning, the inning was not considered immaculate because he faced four batters and allowed a baserunner…Since the no-pitch intentional walk rule went into effect in 2017, was the first instance of striking out the side on nine pitches in the same inning as an intentional walk.
2022
Went a combined 2-2 with a 5.43 ERA (58.0ip/35er) in 58 appearances between Colorado and Pittsburgh…Began the season with Colorado…Tossed 1.0 scoreless inning of relief in his season debut on 4/20 vs. Philadelphia…Was placed on the COVID-19 injured list on 4/6 before being reinstated on 4/19…Was placed on the COVID-19 injured list for a second time from 5/23-27…Was claimed off waivers from Colorado on 8/27 after being designated for assignment on 8/25…Made his Pirates debut on 8/31 at Milwaukee and tossed 1.0 scoreless inning… Appeared in the 200th game of his big league career on 9/3 vs. Toronto and tossed 1.1 scoreless innings…Suffered his only loss with the Pirates on 9/18 at New York (NL) after allowing one run in 1.0 inning of work…Allowed one walk in his final 18 appearances (19.2ip).
2021
Went 2-1 with one save and a career-low 3.13 ERA (46.0 IP, 16 ER) in 49 appearances in his first season with the Rockies... Posted a 4.13 ERA (24.0 IP, 11 ER) in 28 appearances at home and a 2.05 ERA (22.0 IP, 5 ER) in 21 appearances on the road... His 37.1% inherited runners scored was third-highest in the NL and 11th highest overall in the Majors... 0-1 with a 4.56 ERA (23.2 IP, 12 ER), 13 walks and 27 strikeouts in his first 27 appearances through June 18 … did not make another appearance before being placed on the 10-day injured list on June 28 with upper back tightness... Went scoreless in 13 of his last 15 and in 17 of his last 22 after being reinstated from the 10-day IL on Aug. 4 (1.61 ERA, 22.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 BB, 25 SO)... On the Paternity List Sept. 8-11.
2020
Missed 24 games while on the 10-day injured list with a mid-back strain…traded to Colorado, along with Minor League outfielder Jameson Hannah, in exchange for right-handed pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Casey Williams (Minor League) on Nov. 25...Made his fourth consecutive Opening Day roster and spent a second consecutive full season on the Reds’ active roster or injured list...Pitched one game (July 25 vs. Detroit) before being placed on the injured list with a mid-back strain…was reinstated on Aug. 24 and made nine more appearances...Retired his first batter in seven of 10 games, while stranding all six inherited runners...Was on Cincinnati’s Wild Card Series roster at Atlanta, but did not pitch.
2019
Spent the entire season on the Reds' roster...In his last 24 apps beginning 7/26 posted an ERA of 1.38 (26ip, 12h, 4er, 7bb, 28k, 3hr, .136baa), dropping his ERA from a season-high 5.35 to its final 3.76...With a minimum of 26 innings pitched and beginning 7/26 through the end of the season, his 1.38 ERA was the best in the National League among relievers, tied for second-best among all Major League relievers (Min's Trevor May, 1.33 & Bos' Brandon Workman, 1.38) and second-best of any pitcher in the National League (StL's Jack Flaherty, 0.92)...Beginning 8/3, shut out the opponent in 18 of his last 21 apps (1.35era, 20ip, 3er)...From 5/31-6/15 was on the 10-day injured list with a cervical strain...posted ERAs of 3.96 in 21 apps prior to the injury and 3.63 in 36 apps after he came off the IL...14 times threw more than 1.0 inning, 8 times threw 2.0 innings and on 7/26 vs Col threw a season-high 3.0 innings that tied his career high in relief...11 times threw on consecutive days...never in his career pitched on 3 straight days...Retired the first batter in 45 of his 57 apps and stranded 11 of 15 inherited runners. ..From 4/2-4/15 retired 17 consecutive batters, a streak snapped by Manny Machado's RBI-double in the sixth inning on 4/18 at SD's Petco Park...In the eighth inning of the 11-inning, 4-3 win on 9/5 vs Phi allowed a leadoff HR to J.T. Realmuto that snapped career-high scoreless streaks of 13 apps (8/3-9/4) and 12.0 innings (7/30-9/4)...also in that game recorded the 200th strikeout of his career (Rhys Hoskins).
2018
Was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star...led all Reds minor leaguers in ERA while ranking second in wins and third in strikeouts...ranked among the International League pitching leaders in opponents' BA (1st, .184), ERA (6th), wins (3rd), strikeouts (2nd), walks (4th), WHIP (3rd, 1.16), highest strikeouts per 9 innings ratio (2nd, 10.75) and fewest baserunners per 9 innings ratio (2nd, 10.75)...made all 20 of his starts for Louisville before he was promoted to the Reds on 8/8, when he started that afternoon's 8-0 loss vs the Mets...filled that day's spot in the rotation vacated by RHP Anthony DeSclafani, whose previous start was pushed back a day following a weather postponement on 8/3 at Wsh...made 3 starts and 1 relief appearance for the Reds before he was disabled on 8/30 with right shoulder tendinitis...didn't pitch again the rest of the season...made his first 3 apps for the Reds as a starter (0-2, 7.59) and his final appearance of the season in relief in the 9-0 loss on 8/26 at Cubs (1ip, 3h, 3er, 0bb, 1k, 1hr)...prior to his promotion on 8/8, in his last 7 starts for the Bats went 6-0, 1.23 (44ip, 6er)...finished his stint there with 5 consecutive quality starts, the longest such streak by a Bats pitcher since he did it from 6/26-7/23, 2016...on 7/30 was named International League Pitcher of the Week (2gs, 1-0, 1.29)...in the 3-0 win on 7/24/g1 vs Buffalo (7ip, 2h, 2bb, 3k, 87pch) became the first Bats righthander to throw a shutout since RHP Homer Bailey did it on 5/2/2009/g1, also vs Buffalo...was his second career IL Pitcher of the Week Award (7/27-8/2, 2015)...on 8/3 at Columbus recorded 13 strikeouts.
2017
Among National League rookies ranked sixth in opponents' batting average (.256), ninth in strikeouts and 10th in ERA...in his second Major League season made 11 starts (5-4, 3.41) and 14 relief apps (0-2-1, 7.43) during 2 stints with the Reds...in his first stint, made all 13 apps in relief (0-2, 8.03)...after 6 weeks in Louisville rejoined the Reds on 7/22 and made 11 of his last 12 apps as a starter (12g, 5-4, 3.30)...during his second stint with the Reds was disabled with a bruised right shoulder (8/6-8/12)...suffered that injury in a start on 8/2 at Pit, when in the sixth inning he dove for a Starling Marte popped up bunt single...came off the disabled list on 8/13...in that afternoon's 7-4 loss at Mil threw 2.0 hitless innings in relief, then beginning 8/19 finished the season with 8 consecutive starts during which he went 5-2, 2.74 with 4 quality starts...overall, after he came off the disabled list on 8/13 finished the season 5-2, 2.62 in the 8 starts and 1 relief appearance...from 8/19-9/5 went 4-0, 2.38 to become the first Reds rookie pitcher to win 4 consecutive starts while allowing 2 runs or fewer in each since Tim Pugh did it in 1992...on 8/25 vs Pit struck out his first 6 batters, a modern club record to begin a game...in that 9-5 win recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts, the second-highest total by a Reds pitcher all season (12, Amir Garrett, 4/19 vs Bal)...was 1 of 7 rookies on the Opening Day roster...made his season debut on 4/8 at StL, the final player on the Reds' Opening Day roster to make an appearance...was optioned to Louisville on 5/30, the day after the Reds' 17-2 loss at Tor... entered that game in the third inning with the bases loaded in relief of starter Lisalverto Bonilla and allowed a grand slam to his first batter, Troy Tulowitzki...an inning later allowed a 3-run HR to Justin Smoak...overall allowed 10 hits, 7 runs and 6 earned runs, all career highs...was optioned to Louisville the next day to make room on the roster for RHP Jackson Stephens...in his first 3 apps for Louisville following his 5/30 option, all starts, allowed just 2 hits total (13ip)...became the first Bats pitcher to allow 1 hit or fewer in 3 consecutive starts since their affiliation with the Reds began in 2000...on 4/21 and 4/22 vs Cubs pitched consecutive days for the first time in his career...in the 14-2 win on 5/6 vs SF threw only 32 pitches in 3.0 hitless innings to earn his first professional save...was the first 3-inning save by a Reds pitcher since Alfredo Simon pitched the final 3 innings of the 5-1 win vs Mil on 6/16/13...recorded his only career hit during a relief appearance on 5/12 at SF, singled off Cory Gearrin in the 17th inning of that 3-2 loss...retired the first batter in 10 of his 14 relief apps...stranded 4 of his 7 inherited baserunners...converted his only save opportunity...the Reds went 9-16 in games in which he pitched...entered the season rated by Baseball America the fourth-best prospect in the organization and by MLBPipeline.com the 87th-best prospect in baseball in its preseason Top 100 list.
2016
Spent most of the season at Louisville but in his Major League debut made 8 starts in 3 stints with the Reds...was 1 of 12 Reds players and 10 pitchers to make his Major League debut and 1 of a club-record 32 pitchers overall...Louisville opposing batters hit just .228, fifth-best in the International League...on 3/18 was optioned to Louisville but as the club's final spring training roster move was promoted on Opening Day, when RHP Homer Bailey was disabled...in the 10-6 win on 4/7 vs Phi became the first Reds starting pitcher to win his Major League debut since RHP Sam LeCure on 5/28/10 vs Hou...his first career strikeout victim was Obudel Herrera...after the game was optioned to Louisville...returned to Cin on 4/19, when scheduled starter Alfredo Simon was scratched with right biceps tendinitis, and earned the 4-3 win vs Col...became the first Reds pitcher to throw 7.0 innings in an appearance...became the first Reds pitcher to win his first 2 Major League starts since Larry Luebbers did it in 1993...didn't start again for the Reds until 9/5, when he suffered the 5-0 loss vs NYM...returned to Louisville following his second start on 4/19 and spent the rest of the season with the Bats until he was promoted again on 9/2...made 6 of his 8 starts in September (0-3, 7.56)...following the season was rated by MLB.com the fifth-best prospect in the organization.
2015
In 25 starts at Class AA Pensacola and Class AAA Louisville combined to finish 8-11, 3.83 with 1 complete game...led the organization in strikeouts (140)...was the International League's Pitcher of the Week for 7/27-8/2 (2gs, 1-0, 0.64, 14ip, 6h, 1er, 3bb, 15k)...from 8/16-8/26 was on Louisville's disabled list with a strained right forearm... entered the season rated the best prospect in the organization, and his fastball and curveball both were rated the best of any Reds minor leaguer...following the season was rated by managers the best pitching prospect in the International League...was rated by Baseball America the 11th-best prospect in the IL and 12th-best prospect in the Southern League...on 11/19 was added to the 40-man roster.
2014
In just his third professional season made all 27 apps at Pensacola in his first extended action at Class AA...was a Southern League All-Star...led the SL in walks and strikeouts, tied for the league lead in home runs allowed and led starting pitchers by averaging 8.82 strikeouts per 9 innings...opponents hit just .224, tied for the best mark in the league...established a franchise record for strikeouts with 140 (136.2ip), third-most among all Reds farmhands...in the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game in Minneapolis threw a scoreless eighth inning in the U.S. team's 3-2 win (1ip, 1h, 1k)... following the season was rated by Baseball America the best pitching prospect and fourth-best prospect overall in the Southern League and the pitcher with the best fastball in the SL...entered the season rated the best prospect in the organization... attended his first Major League spring training camp in just his third professional season.
2013
Was the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year, a Midwest League All-Star and the Reds' Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May...in 22 starts at Class A Dayton and Bakersfield and Class AA Pensacola went 7-7, 2.99...ranked among the organization's minor league leaders in ERA (2nd) and strikeouts (136, 3rd)...in 6 starts in May went 5-0, 1.96 (36.2ip, 46k)...was scheduled to start the Midwest League All-Star Game but was scratched with a hamstring injury...scoreboard speed guns often clocked his fastball at 100 miles per hour...on 5/30 vs South Bend retired the first 17 batters before allowing an infield single with 2 outs in the sixth inning...Baseball America ranked both his fastball and curveball the best in the organization...in the Midwest League, was rated the best pitching prospect and pitcher with the best fastball...following the season was ranked the Reds' second-best player under age 25 (LHP Tony Cingrani, 1st).
2012
In his first professional season made 15 starts for Rookie Billings and Class A Dayton...combined to finish 3-4, 3.19 (65ip, 72k) while holding opponents to a .222 batting average...following the season was rated by Baseball America the second-best prospect in the organization...also was recognized by that publication as having the system's best fastball and best curveball...named the Reds' No. 3 prospect by MLB.com during the season.
