Blue Jays: Will Tiedemann or Martinez be ready for the Majors next year?

It is not quite the storybook ending we expected for the 2022 season, but it is only the beginning of an exciting time in Toronto. Having a good farm system is essential. High expectations are expected from top prospects. The Blue Jays are now shifting their focus on which prospect can make an impact for the new upcoming season. That brings up a very important question for next season: will top prospects Ricky Tiedemann or Orelvis Martinez be ready for the Majors next year?

It’s a question that the Blue Jays front office will take a hard look at because they have a lot riding on the line and have their plates full. Handing out long-term contracts to players such as Vlad Jr, Bo Bichette, Manoah, and Hernandez, improving the current roster, Ross Stripling heading to free agency, plus focusing on the young prospects coming up, it’s a lot for the general manager. It comes with the territory of being a general manager though, making tough calls and decisions to give the team the best chance to win and put your best players out there.

Ricky Tiedemann is more prepared to be on the Jays’ roster next season than Martinez. He’s the real deal. Through 19 games, Tiedemann posted a 5-4 record with a 2.17 ERA and 117 strikeouts with a WHIP of 0.86 in the 2022 season.

He’s one of the few Blue Jays prospects thriving through the system and is their top pitching prospect. Tiedemann can leap to the majors next season if he continues to get better and improve his mechanics. It would’ve surprised me if many teams passed on him because they didn’t feel he could be a lethal starter for a franchise. The Blue Jays say, “if you don’t want him, then we will, and we’re going to make you regret it.” He’s only 20 years old. It will be interesting to see him develop and grow as a big-league pitcher.

Will Blue Jays’ top prospects Ricky Tiedemann or Orelvis Martinez make their MLB debut in 2023?

Orelvis Martinez is one of their top prospects that can play both shortstop and third base. The soon to be 21 year old was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and signed as an international free agent with the Blue Jays in 2018.

Martinez’s numbers in the minors have been a rollercoaster, in my opinion. My concern with him is his batting average and plate discipline. This season, through 118 games, Martinez batted for .203, 30 homers, 76 RBIs, and a career-high 140 strikeouts. His batting average dropped, and his strikeout numbers increased compared to the previous seasons but he led the team in home runs (setting a Fisher Cats single-season record) and finished second in the Eastern League.

Martinez needs to be slowly developed and work more on his performance at the plate. He will get the call someday, but I don’t think it would be in 2023 unless someone suffers an injury. The infielder could also find a spot on the roster at third base after next season when Matt Chapman heads to free agency.

Overall, the outlook for an MLB debut can be seen more with Tiedemann over Martinez in 2023. There is the potential that either could be called up late in the year if they have a good season in the higher levels of the minor leagues but I give the edge to the southpaw over the righty-batter in terms of debuting first.