Graduated from Kennesaw Mountain High School in Marietta, Ga.,…as a senior in 2015 hit .415 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs…committed to Georgia Tech but signed with the Reds...participated in the 2019 Reds Caravan.
2023
Led the team in starts at catcher (78gs), innings caught (703.0) and starts at designated hitter (40gs)...Reds pitchers went 35-43 in his starts and posted a 5.12 ERA while he caught...Was the only Reds catcher to start three consecutive Reds games (3g from 6/28-7/1, 3g from 7/8-7/14, 4g from 9/16-9/19)...Caught two of the Reds' six team shutouts (9-0 win, 7/30 at LAD & 1-0 win, 8/18 vs Tor)...Made his 122 starts at C (78gs), 1B (4gs, last on 4/30 at Oak) and DH (40gs)...Led the team with two pinch-hit home runs, the fifth and sixth of his career (7/2 vs SD, two-run off Nick Martinez & 8/20 vs Tor, solo off Bowden Francis)...Began the season with what at the time was a career-high eight-game hitting streak...on 4/17, after an official scoring review by Major League Baseball, his third-inning single on Opening Day (3/30) off Mitch Keller was changed to an E4...the resulting seven-game hitting streak is his new career high...From 4/11-4/29 produced a career-high 17-game on-base streak during which he hit .293 with a .397 on-base percentage (17-for-58, 4 2b, 8rbi)...On 4/11 at Atl made his 200th Major League appearance...His solo HR off Eury Perez on 5/12 at Mia produced his 100th career RBI...Beginning 6/5, in his last 29 appearances before the All-Star break hit .290 (29-for-100, 2 2b, 5hr, 16rbi, 16r, .368obp)...in those 29 games the Reds went 22-7 (.759)…In the 11-inning, 8-7 win on 8/26 at AZ fell a homer shy of the cycle.
2022
On 8/4 had season-ending surgery to stabilize a fracture in his right clavicle...Missed 107 games during three stints on the injured list, including 10 games from 4/20-5/2 (third career concussion), 27 games from 6/10-7/8 (broken right thumb) and the last 70 games of the season beginning 7/23 (broken right clavicle)...Suffered the concussion in a collision at home plate with Luke Voit on 4/19 at SD...Suffered the broken right thumb on a foul tip while catching on 6/9 vs Ari...Suffered the broken right clavicle on a foul tip while catching on 7/22 vs StL, just two outs into the first game after the All-Star break...Despite his injuries still led Reds catchers with 43 starts (20- 23) and 351.2 innings caught...pitchers posted a 4.86 ERA while he caught...Was one of seven catchers to appear in a game for the Reds this season (Aramis Garcia, Mark Kolozsvary, Chris Okey, Michael Papierski, Austin Romine, Chuckie Robinson), one shy of the 1909 club record for catchers used in a season (8)...In 31 appearances between his first (concussion) and second (broken thumb) stints on the injured list, from 5/3-6/9, hit .315 (8 2b, 3hr, 25rbi, 17r, .356obp)...In seven appearances between his second (broken thumb) and third (broken right clavicle) stints on the injured list, from 7/9-until the All-Star break, went 10-for-25 (.400, 1 2b, 1hr, 4rbi, .429obp, .560slg, .989ops)...In his last 12 appearances of the season, beginning 6/4 and surrounding a 29-day stint on the IL with the broken thumb, hit .442 with seven multi-hit games (19-43, 3 2b, 2hr, 11rbi, .479obp, .651slg, 1.130ops)...In addition to his 43 starts behind the plate, made 3 starts at DH (last, 5/29 vs SF)...In the eighth inning of the 18-4 loss on 5/4 at Mil made his only appearance of the season at 1B (24th career)...In the 10-5 loss on 4/12 vs Cle threw out three runners attempting to steal, the first Reds catcher with three CS in a game since Devin Mesoraco on 6/27/12 vs Mil...in the first inning threw out Steven Kwan and José Ramírez trying to steal second base, the first Reds catcher with 2 CS in the same inning since Jason LaRue on 7/17/99 vs Col...Finished spring training with a seven-game hitting streak (10-20, .500, 3 2b, 3rbi), the longest by a Reds batter all spring...hit safely in nine of his 11 appearances overall...had an RBI in three of his last four appearances while in Goodyear.
2021
After making his first Opening Day roster was named to Baseball America's MLB All-Rookie Team and MLB Pipeline's All-Rookie Team, along with teammate 2B Jonathan India...Was recognized by the BBWAA with two third-place votes for the 2021 Jackie Robinson Award as the National League's Rookie of the Year, won by teammate 2B Jonathan India...In his first full Major League season established single-season franchise records for highest fielding percentage by a catcher (1.000) and most total chances in a season by a catcher without an error (683)...both marks previously were held by 2-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner Tucker Barnhart...His 78 appearances, 65 starts, 588.1 innings caught and 683 total chances without committing an error were the highest totals of any catcher in the Major Leagues...Shared the catching duties with veteran Tucker Barnhart...for only the third time since 1882, the Reds finished a season using only two catchers...they also did it in 1959 (Ed Bailey, Dutch Dotterer) and 1979 (Johnny Bench, Vic Correll)...rookie C Mark Kolozsvary was on the Reds' active roster on 9/20 and 9/21, when Stephenson missed two games while on the injured list, but Kolozsvary did not play...Hit .359 in April, .305 in June, .322 in July, .291 in August, .290 in September/October, .282 before the All-Star break and .290 in the second half...Led all Major League rookie catchers in hitting, on-base percentage and OPS while ranking among National League rookies at all positions in hitting (2nd), on-base percentage (3rd), doubles (4th), OPS (4th), walks (4th), hits (5th), runs (5th), total bases (6th), slugging percentage (6th), RBI (6th), extra-base hits (7th) and HR (T8th)...Ranked third among all Major League rookies with a .286 batting average, behind Oak/Chc's Frank Schwindel (.326) and TB's Wander Franco (.288)...for most of the season led National League rookies in batting average, but with two games left in the season Schwindel accrued enough plate appearances with the Cubs to take over the NL rookie lead (.342)...Stephenson was trying to become the first Reds batter to lead NL rookies in hitting since Joey Votto hit .297 in 2008...Ranked T2nd in the Major Leagues with 12 pinch-hit RBI (Austin Slater 1st, 13rbi) and T3rd among all pinch hitters with three HR (Pablo Sandoval & Austin Slater T1st, 4hr)...in 47 career pinch-hit appearances has produced four HR and 14 RBI...Led all Major League catchers in fielding percentage (1.000)...among National League catchers, ranked 12th with 683 total chances (0 errors) and 14th with 588.1 innings caught...Made 65 starts at catcher...started three of the staff's eight shutouts...Made his other 17 starts at 1B (last, 9/28 at WSox)...In the eighth inning of the 9-2 loss on 10/1 at Pit, in Game 160, pinch hit and then remained in the game to play LF...is his only professional appearance in the outfield...Near the top of the batting order hit second (16gs), third (11gs, last on 7/28 at Cubs) and fourth (25gs, last on 9/25 vs Wsh)...his 25 starts batting cleanup ranked second on the team behind Joey Votto (82gs)...the Reds went 15-10 (.600) when he hit in the fourth spot in the lineup...As a pinch hitter with one out in the 10th inning of the 3-2 win on 4/17 vs Cle produced the game-ending hit, an RBI-single to the outfield wall off Oliver Pérez...was his second pinch-hit, walkoff hit within his first 45 Major League plate appearances...also hit a 2-run HR off Pit's Sam Howard in the 3-1 win in the opener of a DH on 9/14/20...Missed games on 9/20 and 9/21 vs Pit while on the iIjured List...Entered the season rated No. 59 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list...For the second consecutive season was rated by Baseball America the Reds' fourth-best prospect and their best hitter for batting average.
2020
Was one of five Reds players to make Major League debuts (OF Shogo Akiyama, RHP Tejay Antone, OF Mark Payton, SS Jose Garcia)... Produced an OPS of 1.047 in eight apps and four starts during two stints with the Reds (2gs at C, 2gs at DH)... Spent three days on the active roster from 7/26-7/28, when 2B Mike Moustakas was on the injured list, and in his Major League debut made an appearance as a defensive replacement on 7/27 vs Cubs...from 9/8-9/22 went 3-for-15 in seven apps and four starts... Had four stints on the Taxi Squad (3g from 7/31-8/2 at Det, 10g from 8/19-8/27 at KC/StL/Mil, 4g from 9/4-9/6 at Pit, 4g from 9/23-9/27 vs Mil/at Min)...also traveled to the Wild Card Series at Atl as part of the Reds' 40-player Postseason pool but did not appear on the active roster... Made his 2 starts behind the plate in the 8-5 loss on 9/10 at Chi and the 10-5 win on 9/13 at StL...in those starts went 2-for-7 (.286, 2rbi, 1bb, 1r)... Made his last two apps for the Reds on 9/19 vs WSox and 9/22 vs Mil, started as the team's designated hitter...was optioned to the alternate training site on 9/23, when with four games left in the season LHP Wade Miley was reinstated from the 10-day injured list... On 7/27 vs Cubs made his Major League debut, entered the game as a defensive replacement at catcher in the top of the seventh inning and in the bottom of the frame homered in his first career plate appearance (off Duane Underwood Jr.)... Became only the third Reds batter to produce a home run in his first Major League plate appearance, joining pinch hitter Ted Tappe (9/14/50 at Brooklyn) and Clyde Vollmer (5/31/42/g2 vs Pit)... Reached base safely in each of his first three Major League plate apps (HR, single, bases-loaded walk)... In the 8-5 loss on 9/10 at Wrigley Field made his first career start (1-4, 1rbi)...in the bottom of the seventh inning, threw out Billy Hamilton trying to steal second base...through the 2020 season, Hamilton had 305 career stolen bases and had been caught just 71 times. In the 3-1 win in the opener of the 9/14 doubleheader vs Pit, in his fifth Major League appearance, snapped the 1-1 tie with a walk-off HR off Sam Howard...became the first Reds batter with a pinch-hit, game-ending homer since Laynce Nix did it on 5/3/2010 vs NYM off Manny Acosta...became the first Reds player with a walk-off HR within his first five career apps since Drew Stubbs did it in his second game on 8/20/2009 vs SF... At 23 years old, entered spring training as the youngest position player on the Reds' 40-man roster... Entered the season rated by Baseball America the fourth-best prospect in the organization and by MLB. com the seventh-best... Entered the season rated by Baseball America the organization's best minor league hitter for batting average.
2019
In his first season at Class AA was voted the best defensive catcher in the Southern League...Following the season played for Glendale in the prestigious Arizona Fall League (13g, .347, 7 2b, 6rbi, .908ops) and earned a spot on the Fall Stars Game post-season roster...was an AFL Rising Star and recipient of the Dernell Stenson Award, named after the former Reds minor leaguer who died during the 2003 AFL season, for his unselfishness, hard work and leadership...On 11/20 was added to the 40-man roster...Entered the season rated by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline the sixth-best prospect in the organization.
2018
In a career-high 109 apps, at Daytona was a Florida State League All-Star...led Florida State League catchers in fielding percentage (.996)...was rated by Baseball America the 18th-best prospect in Florida State League.
2015-2017
2017: At Class A Dayton was a Midwest League All-Star...was rated by Baseball America the 17th-best prospect in the MWL and by MLB.com (8th) and Baseball America (10th) among the organization's top prospects...2016: Was rated by Baseball America (10th) and MLB.com (10th) among the Reds' top prospects...2015: Following his first pro season was named the Reds' fourth-best prospect by Baseball America and fifth-best by MLB.com.
