Seth Stephenson Scouting Report

Seth Stephenson Scouting Report

Background: A native Texan, Seth Stephenson spent two years a Temple Junior College before transferring to Tennesse as a junior. Was a sparkplug for the Volunteers and the Tigers drafted him with their 7th-round pick in 2022. Spent most of 2023 in Low-A Lakeland, where he compiled a .776 OPS and stole 62 bases. Moved to High-A West Michigan in 2024, where he swiped 60 more bags, but his OPS dropped to .691.

Physical description: Stephenson is a diminutive man who appears even smaller than his listed size of 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds.

Hit: 30

Stephenson has a relatively short stroke, and can be pesky in the batter’s box. But his lack of strength sometimes leads to weak opposite field contact, and when he cheats for velocity he ends up late on secondary pitches. He walks at an average rate, and he has a knack for getting hit by pitches, but there’s a decent amount of swing-and-miss in his game.

Power: 30

Stephenson isn’t completely punchless, and if he catches a hanging breaking ball he can yank it over the wall to the pull field. But he’s unlikely to ever hit more than a handful of home runs in a given season.

Run: 70

Stepheson’s speed is game-changing. He consistently gets from the right-side of the plate to first base in 4.0 seconds or less. And he’s hyper aggressive on the bases, so once he’s on first he’s pretty much a lock to steal second.

Defense: 50

His speed makes him a quality defender at all three spots, though he seems most comfortable in left field.

Arm: 50

Stephenson has a solid-average arm, and will occasionally catch a runner by surprise.

Overall: Stephenson’s speed makes him a very fun player to watch. But, as the old saying goes, you can’t steal first base. Without some real strength gains or improved contact skills, it’s hard to picture him making it to the big leagues in anything other than an emergency situation.