Blue Jays' Ricky Tiedemann once again named as one of the game’s best LHP prospect

In the recent release of the top left-handed pitching prospects by MLB Pipeline, the Toronto Blue Jays find one of their very own making the distinguished list. Jays’ top prospect Ricky Tiedemann ranked second behind only Kyle Harrison of the San Francisco Giants.

Considering the turbulent season Tiedemann endured in 2023, that is quite the accomplishment for the young 21-year-old to achieve such a high ranking. After all, his highly-anticipated breakout last year was interrupted only four games into the season by an ill-timed left biceps injury. What appeared to be a minor ailment at the start ended up keeping him out for almost two and a half months. When he finally got back into game action in late July, Tiedemann managed to salvage the season by performing admirably in the final two months of the season.

Overall, Tiedemann compiled a respectable 3.68 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP, along with a whopping 82 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched over 15 minor league starts in 2023. More impressively, as a power pitcher, he was able to effectively suppress the opposition of the long ball by allowing only 1 home run all year. His stellar work earned him a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo for his last start of the season in which he held his own, giving up only 1 unearned run with 6 strikeouts in 4 innings of work. 

With just so few innings under his belt, Tiedemann gladly joined the Arizona Fall League to get in more work, in addition to fine-tuning his game for the coming year. He carried over his momentum from the minor leagues by posting a strong 2-1 record with a 2.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, along with 23 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. In doing so, Tiedemann help led his Surprise Saguaros team to a championship win, along with capturing AFL Pitcher of the Year honours.

He may be only be the second-best LHP prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but the margin of difference between him and Harrison is a lot closer than expected as Baseball America (subscription required) actually has him ranked as the top LHP prospect in their top 100 prospects list. Either way, it certainly speaks volumes of Tiedemann’s abilities and potential heading into 2024. For Jays’ fans everywhere, they can look forward to having a top-notch, front-end starter to root for in the not-so-distant future, which could come as soon as this coming season.