(I got to thinking about Jordan Stephens this morning while reading Baseball America and drinking my double espresso at my neighborhood coffee shop. Because, yeah, I spend a lot to time thinking about fictional characters in a computer baseball game. That's not odd at all, is it?)
Jordan Stephens was drafted out of Long Beach State in the 4th round of the 1966 amateur player draft by the Charlotte Sting. While he was primarily a third baseman in college, the Sting saw his tremendous arm and potential as a reliever and converted him to a pitcher. In spite of his tremendous fastball and a curveball that profiles as having the potential to be elite, though it is still a work in progress, Stephens struggled in the Charlotte minor league system but still showed enough promise that he was brought up to the big league club (albeit a club that would finish in 9th place) for a good portion of the 1970 season. He appeared in 27 games for the Sting that season, getting credited with 7 saves though also recording a win-loss record of 1-6 with an ERA of 4.82.
In July of the next season he was traded to the Brewers for catcher Joey Townsend and outfielder Josh Hamm. (Joey spent 20 games in a Sting uniform in 1971 but then played for their AAA affiliate all of 1972. Hamm, at the age of 25, put up tremendous numbers in a limited amount of plate appearances at AA in 1972. He still has some potential for a big league bench role given his decent hit tool and great eye at the plate, but he is a defensive liability and a very slow runner.)
After joining the Brewers organization Jordan pitched for AAA Chester for much of the 1971 season, putting up decent but unspectacular numbers. One good sign though was that his BB/9 was down considerably from his earlier seasons in the minors. He earned a September call-up to the Brewers but pitched in only 4 games, struggling again with command (8.1 BB/9) but showing a good ability to get swings and misses (8.1 K/9) and putting up a 2.70 ERA. Stephens returned to AAA Chester to begin the 1972 season and pitched in 21 games there. His overall numbers weren't great, but he did show some improved command and his K/9 of 8.6 was encouraging.
Having been elevated to the Brewers bullpen at the end of June (he had bounced back a forth a bit between Denver and Chester earlier in the season), Stephens proceeded to have a tremendous season in the 'pen. He went 3-0 with 4 saves and put up an ERA of 0.79. His WHIP was also an impressive 0.91. His walks per 9 innings were down again (2.6) while his strikeouts per 9 innings remained steady (8.5). He didn't give up a single HR. His BABIP was a bit low (.250) but his FIP was an extremely impressive 1.60 with a FIP- of 51. While it can't be expected that Stephens will match those numbers in 1973, it is clear that at this point the plan is for him to be a full-time member of the Brewers bullpen for the foreseeable future.
But really sets Stephens apart, and makes him so valuable, is that he can still play third base and has the potential to rake at the plate. In an admittedly small sample size, Stephens put up a slash line of .364/.391/.409. His greatest strength, potentially at least, as a batter is his HR power. He provides the team with a right handed power bat off the bench. And he has surprising speed and plus base running abilities for a pitcher/third baseman. (7's all around on a 1-10 scale.) He doesn't possess great range at third but his strong arm makes him a capable fielder at that position. It is also believed that he could be an acceptable corner outfielder if given the chance, though again with limited range.
One thing that Brewers management places a high value on is versatility. It is largely what has kept the light-hitting Oscar Vargas on the major league roster so long- his ability to play multiple positions and to play them at a high level of skill. In Jordan Stephens management sees so much opportunity for flexibility in their 25-man roster as he gives them another third base backup for Mike Foster, a good bat and speedy runner off the bench, and a solid middle reliever. It gives them the opportunity to carry an extra pitcher during the long stretches of games in the middle of the season, with Stephens providing essentially another position player when he isn't on the mound. He has the potential to become the first true two-way player in Brewers history, though he will likely remain primarily a relief pitcher while providing a utility/pinch-hittting/pinch-running service on the side.
