Tiedemann turning heads with raw power
Further growth is required from young fireballer
Ricky Tiedemann has been labelled “the next big thing” around the Blue Jays and while that status doesn’t always lead to positive results in the majors, it guarantees the media spotlight for at least one spring.
That’s the situation the 20-yearold left-hander faces in the first bigleague camp of his career. Fresh off a breakout season across three levels of the minors, Tiedemann’s continued emergence has arguably become one of the biggest storylines in Dunedin.
Tiedemann made his Grapefruit debut on Tuesday and retired all three batters he faced, striking out two, including veteran Javy Báez. He sat at 97 to 99 m.p.h. on his fastball and ended his inning with a nasty changeup. He looked every bit the part of future ace, a role bestowed upon him almost from the second he joined the organization as a third-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft.
Lots of pitchers arrive on the bigleague stage with similar hype and not all pan out. One only needs to look at the recent example of Nate Pearson to be reminded that pitchers often don’t take linear paths to the majors. While those caveats help explain the Jays’ reluctance to talk timelines for Tiedemann’s arrival, they’re not about to downplay his potential.
“I don’t think we need to temper expectations,” Jays general manager Ross Atkins said earlier this spring. “I think we need to focus on the process, and he is as focused on it as any young player I’ve been around.”
Part of that process involved bulking up. Tiedemann had never been exposed to much of a strength and conditioning program prior to joining the Jays. That changed as the high-performance department created a series of individualized workout routines designed to increase power and durability.
While much of that work is ongoing, Tiedemann has already seen the fruits of his labour. During his draft year, the California native’s fastball was sitting around 93 or 94 m.p.h.
Last year, it ticked up to 95. Based on the initial results this spring, he appears headed for another jump.
The added velocity should only increase the effectiveness of his secondary pitches, which include a circle change and slider. Both have the makings of being effective pitches at the big-league level and when combined with a unique arm angle that masks his release point, it might be enough to eventually become a front-line starter.
“Once I got here, that was the main thing, and it’s been the main thing the entire time: just get stronger, not only physically but mentally with the game, too,” Tiedemann said. “It’s been a priority for me to just continue to get stronger physically, stay strong and stay healthy as well. We’ve been able to do a good job in the gym. It’s going to continue being the goal.”
Tiedemann didn’t waste any time making a name for himself within the organization. He reported to minor-league camp last year having never pitched a game as a professional and went on to have one of the most successful minor-league breakouts in recent memory.
The first assignment was with low-A Dunedin, where Tiedemann made six starts. Then it was off to high-A Vancouver for eight more, before he finished the year with a four-start performance for Double-A New Hampshire. Each city was little more than a pit stop, but when the year was over Tiedemann had posted a dominant 2.17 ERA across 18 games.
Despite the quick rise, Tiedemann’s major-league arrival is not imminent. He finished last year with only 78 2⁄3 innings and wasn’t allowed to toss more than five frames in any start. A focus this year will be extending those outings and building a stronger base.
That likely means a return trip to New Hampshire before an eventual promotion to Triple-A Buffalo. A big-league debut might not be in the cards for another year, but to his credit Tiedemann doesn’t seem too concerned about the future. He’s focused on the here and now.
“It’s always been that way for me, where I have to just focus on today,” Tiedemann said. “You don’t have to keep looking forward, just focus on the present. Get better today and the rest will unfold down the line ... I just hang out and stay loose.”
There have been a lot of opportunities to do that this spring, with Tiedemann gravitating toward the veterans on the staff. Those conversations with his peers may prove just as beneficial as the innings he gets under his belt.
The Jays know he will become one of them soon enough, and they want to make sure he’s ready when he arrives.
“For a 20-year-old kid, he is really focused on his routines and process,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “Where he started a couple years ago to where he is now, the fact that he moved down here and is utilizing this facility the way it’s supposed to be used, is great. He can articulate the things he wants to keep evolving with. He’s taking it all in, but he’s not wide-eyed by any means.”
Another year of learning, developing and maturing lies ahead for Tiedemann. If everything goes according to plan, it won’t be much longer before that process continues at the big-league level.