Mississippi State baseball pitcher Khal Stephen was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round and the No. 59 overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday.

Stephen, a junior, transferred to Mississippi State from Purdue where he became the Bulldogs' No. 1 starter. This year's draft pick holds a slot value of $1,489,000.

Stephen is the second Bulldog to be taken in this year's draft.

Here's what the Toronto Blue Jays are getting in Stephen.

What Khal Stephen brings to the Blue Jays

Stephen's draft stock rose immensely after a breakout summer in the 2023 Cape Cod League and that was replicated during the 2024 season when he joined Mississippi State.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty was a First Team All-SEC selection with his 3.28 ERA in 16 starts. One of his best moments as a Bulldog came in April when he threw eight innings of shutout baseball at Ole Miss.

MLB.com ranked Stephen as the No. 88 prospect and his profile praises his four-pitch mix that features a fastball, slider, changeup and curveball. However, it also added that he, "lacks a true plus offering but has a high floor as a No. 4 or 5 starter."

MORE: How Khal Stephen showed he could be Mississippi State baseball's ace from young age

Khal Stephen's stats with Mississippi State baseball

Stephen made 16 starts for an 8-3 record in 2024:

• 3.28 ERA

• 1.01 WHIP

• 96.0 innings

• 107 strikeouts

• .213 batting average allowed

Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: MLB Draft: Mississippi State's Khal Stephen picked by Toronto Blue Jays