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Getting to know Josh Stephan, the pitching prospect the Blue Jays acquired in the Adam Macko trade
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Photo credit: © Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Cynthia Ryley Delaney
Aug 3, 2026, 14:15 EDTUpdated: Aug 3, 2026, 14:11 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays made one of the more surprising moves in recent years on Monday afternoon.
Out of the blue, the Jays sent Adam Macko to the Texas Rangers for big leaguer Josh Smith and minor leaguer Josh Stephan. Macko made his debut this season, so he had years of control remaining, while Smith hasn’t had a great season.
But what about Stephan? Well, let’s get to know the Blue Jays’ newest prospect.

Getting to know Josh Stephan

Stephan was a rare non-drafted free agent out of high school, due in part to injuries and the global pandemic in the early 2020s. He agreed to terms with the Rangers’ organization in June 2020, and was with the team for parts of seven seasons.
Stephen, 24, stands at 6’3”, 185 lbs and has mainly served as a starter through his professional career. Last season in the Rangers’ upper minors, he authored a 4.67 ERA and 4.79 FIP in 111.2 innings of work, with an 18.7 K% and 6.4 BB%.
With their Triple-A team this season, Stephan had a 5.44 ERA and 5.71 FIP in 101 innings of work, making 19 starts in his 21 appearances. The long-ball has been a problem for him throughout his career, and he’s already given up a career-high 20 with the Round Rock Express, while posting a 21.9 K% and 7 BB%.  It’s worth noting that the Express are in the Pacific Coast League, which tends to have elevated home run totals.
Stephan didn’t rank as a top 30 prospect on MLB Pipeline prior to the trade, but he did rank as Fangraphs’ 28th-best Rangers’ prospect in their mid-season update.  The command is good, as you can tell from his walk rate, with a good slider and a low-90s fastball.
Moreover, Stephan ranked as Pipeline’s 22nd-best prospect just a year ago. The publication gave his slider a 60 grade, as well as his control. His other secondaries, a cutter and changeup, were given a 50 grade, while his fastball had a 45 grade.
If the Blue Jays continue their sell off this season, it’s not inconceivable that Stephan makes a start or two, maybe even more. This would require the team to trade both Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber, something that hasn’t happened yet.
He’s an interesting prospect who is Rule 5 eligible since he isn’t on the 40-man roster. We’ll see how the Jays use him, and expect the team to make more trades ahead of the 6:00 PM ET trade deadline.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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