Impressive spring debut raises question of what's next for Blue Jays' Tiedemann

DUNEDIN, Fla. – On the mound, Ricky Tiedemann’s expression stayed neutral.

All eyes were on the 20-year-old pitching prospect as he took his warmup pitches wearing white New Balance cleats, a custom light blue glove and No. 70. But as Javy Baez stepped into the batter’s box and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication played over the loudspeakers at TD Ballpark Tuesday afternoon, Tiedemann remained impassive. In fact, he didn’t even realize who was hitting until he’d thrown two pitches.

"I was just going at him like any other hitter," Tiedemann said of facing the two-time all-star. "Just letting my stuff work and see how it went – and it went well."

Indeed it did, as Baez soon went down swinging on a 99 m.p.h. fastball. Still, there was no show of emotion from Tiedemann, nor was there much reaction when he induced a ground ball to shortstop from Austin Meadows or when he struck out another big-leaguer, Matt Vierling, on a change-up.

Only once he had returned to the dugout and received congratulatory fist bumps from the likes of shortstop Bo Bichette and catcher Danny Jansen did the left-hander break into a smile. From his seat in the first-base dugout, John Schneider liked what he saw.

"It was good,” the manager said. “He wasn't (too) amped up. He was under control and poised, which is what you're looking for in the guy's first outing. He handled it really well … he's got a really good idea what he's doing, and has stuff to back it up."

Ideally, outings like this would become a theme for Tiedemann, who ranked 31^st on Baseball America’s annual list of the game’s top prospects. But he’s 20 years old with just one pro season to his name, so there’s still development ahead. Any fair forecast must allow for some struggles, too. But either way, the stakes are high. As the organization’s top prospect begins his first big-league camp, he’s very much on the radar of big-league decision makers.

"It's great exposure, great experience for him," Schneider said. "Stuff was there and just really like the composure with everything he was doing ... he knows going into this there's still development to do. And, you know, it's taking on his routine and things like that. It's one inning – kind of a quick look – but very encouraging."

A 2021 third-round pick, Tiedemann excelled across three levels last year, posting a 2.17 ERA over 18 total starts. A year that started at low-A Dunedin ended in the upper minors with four starts at double-A New Hampshire.

Along the way, he struck out 117 hitters in 78.2 innings while allowing just 39 hits including a mere three home runs. Clearly, he needs to add to that workload and consistently work through lineups three times.

Beyond that, the only possible blemish on his record would be the 29 walks he allowed in 2022. With that in mind, the Blue Jays have asked him to attack opposing lineups this season.

"I'm trying to keep the ball in the zone and let the hitters make the mistakes," Tiedemann said.

Before the spring schedule began, GM Ross Atkins and pitching coach Pete Walker met with Schneider and Tiedemann to discuss expectations for 2023.

“It was a pretty impressive sit down,” Schneider said. “He has a very, very clear view of his routines and his goals and how to execute them. You couple that with the stuff and you go, okay, this is a really good starting point.

Given that Tiedemann made just four double-A starts last year, he seems likely to return to New Hampshire to open the 2023 season. From there, a combination of factors would shape his timeline to the major-leagues, including his preparation, on-field composure, ability to repeat his delivery, command of the strike zone with all three pitches (fastball, slider, change-up), quality of stuff and results.

It’s a lot to manage. Where better to start than in big-league spring training?

"It's great exposure, great experience for him," Schneider said. "(But) he knows going into this there's still development to do.”

Because he’s already reached double-A, it's easy to forget that Tiedemann’s still just 20 years old. By way of comparison, Alek Manoah and Nate Pearson were each 23 when they debuted at the MLB level. At this rate, Tiedemann will get there sooner, but the diverging paths of Manoah and Pearson offer a reminder that an impressive ascent through the minors doesn’t guarantee big-league success.

“Everybody has different paths and I'm looking to make my own,” Tiedemann said. “Obviously, I expect  success. Consistency. That's what all the coaches want to see is me come out there every week and put up solid numbers. I'm looking to do that this year, of course. And even if I don't (succeed) I've got to keep it the same and do it again.”