Ricky Tiedemann

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #1 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 65/Very High
  
  Track Record: Teams likely regret passing on Tiedemann out of Lakewood (Calif.) High in the five-round 2020 draft. In pro ball, the lefthander has quickly developed one of the highest ceilings among pitching prospects. Tiedemann showed progress at Golden West (Calif.) JC in 2021, prompting the Blue Jays to draft him in the third round and sign him for a below-slot $644,800. He debuted with Low-A Dunedin in 2022, showing a jump in velocity and stuff across his arsenal. On the back of his elite stuff and strong performance, he climbed to Double-A that August. Tiedemann entered 2023 spring training with an opportunity to pitch his way to Toronto. He instead was shut down with left shoulder soreness and got a late start to his season. After four dominant but truncated Double-A starts, Tiedemann returned to the injured list with a left biceps sprain on May 5. He did not return to Double-A New Hampshire until Aug. 11. He made seven appearances there and one for Triple-A Buffalo before finishing with four starts in the Arizona Fall League, where he was league pitcher of the year. More critically, Tiedemann exceeded 70 pitches and five innings three times in the AFL, something he had not done since July 1, 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: Tiedemann is a tall, strong-bodied lefthander with the build prototypical of workhorse starters. Despite his physical appearance, his health and durability have been major question marks. When healthy, Tiedemann has an outlier combination of velocity, movement and deception, delivering the ball from a low three-quarters slot. His fastball sits 94-97 mph and touches 98 mph. He generates below-average ride but heavy armside run that plays up due to his low slot and ability to hide the ball. While Tiedemann’s best pitch historically has been his changeup, that pitch backed up in 2023 as concerns about the difference in release height and arm slot compared with his fastball became a larger issue. His changeup features heavy tumble and fade as he kills lift and generates a heavy dose of armside run. His slider became his primary secondary in 2023. It’s a low-80s pitch with sweep and ride. Tiedemann shows an uncanny ability to manipulate his slider and land it in the zone. The pitch generated whiffs at a rate of 39% in-zone in 2023 as well as a 49% rate of called-plus-swinging strikes. As the Blue Jays continue to refine Tiedemann’s arsenal it should continue to improve, giving him three plus or better pitches, including one secondary pitch to neutralize hitters of either handedness. Tiedemann’s command can come and go, but it’s reasonable to think a large chunk of the season was impacted by injury.
  
  The Future: No one questions that Tiedemann has the tools and attributes to develop into a No. 2 or 3 starter. It’s only a matter of whether his body will cooperate. A strong season at Triple-A in 2024 will land him in Toronto. n
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #1 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: A popup prospect out of Lakewood High in California, Tiedemann rapidly became a top player in the 2020 draft class but went unpicked after teams didn't meet his bonus demands in the shortened five-round draft. He decommitted from San Diego State and enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC to make himself available for the 2021 draft. The Blue Jays drafted him in the third round and signed him for a below-slot $644,800. Tiedemann immediately turned heads with a velocity spike after signing and carried that through his first professional season. He climbed three levels of the minors to Double-A and led the organization with a 2.17 ERA.
  
  Scouting Report: A tall, physical specimen whose frame balances strength and athleticism, Tiedemann sets up on the third base side of the rubber and delivers the ball from a low arm slot. This creates a difficult angle for both lefthanded and righthanded hitters and allows him to wear out the armside half of the plate. Tiedemann mixes three pitches, topped by a plus mid-90s four-seam fastball with heavy armside run. His sweepy slider sits 80-82 mph with a foot of horizontal break and is another plus pitch he mostly throws against lefthanded batters. His changeup is a plus-plus mid-80s offering with tumble and fade that plays off his fastball and annihilates righthanded hitters. Tiedemann is a good athlete who throws all three of his pitches for strikes with above-average control. All of his pitches drive swings and misses, and he has the ability to keep hitters off-balance with advanced sequencing.
  
  The Future: Tiedemann's strong three-pitch mix, unique release characteristics and power from the left side give him the ingredients to develop into a front-of-the-rotation stalwart. He'll see Triple-A and possibly the majors in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #9 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Tiedemann emerged as one of the biggest popup prospects in the 2020 draft class at Lakewood (Calif.) High before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the season. Teams weren’t willing to meet his bonus demands in the shortened five-round draft, but he made himself eligible for the 2021 draft when he enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC instead of sticking with his commitment to San Diego State. The Blue Jays drafted Tiedemann in the third round and signed him for $644,800, then realized they might have gotten a steal when his velocity spiked after he signed.
  
  Scouting Report: Tiedemann is a good athlete with broad shoulders on a strong, well-proportioned frame. Only 18 on draft day, Tiedemann’s youth and physicality led many evaluators to project a velocity increase at some point in his career, but it happened quicker than expected. Tiedemann pitched at 88-93 mph and topped out at 94 in college, but his velocity hit another gear when he reported to the Blue Jays, ranging from 94-98 mph in short bursts. He will probably park below that as a starter, but the jump in his high-end velocity changes his future outlook. Tiedemann flashes a plus changeup he has the confidence to use against both lefties and righties and a hard slider that could develop into an average pitch. His low, three-quarters arm slot wanders at times and has led to inconsistent control and performance, but he dominates when he’s on.
  
  The Future: Tiedemann’s velocity increase has made him an even more intriguing starting pitching prospect than he was on draft day. His physical appearance and pitch mix have long earned comparisons to Sean Manaea, and he has similar mid-to-back of the rotation potential.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #88 prospect in 2021 draft
  Tiedemann drew considerable interest out of Lakewood (Calif.) High last year, but teams weren’t willing to meet his bonus demands and he went unpicked in the shortened five-round draft. Rather than stick with his commitment to San Diego State, Tiedemann enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC this spring to be eligible for the 2021 draft. Tiedemann has blossomed physically over the past year and now stands 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with broad shoulders and a strong, well-proportioned frame. With the increased physicality has come an uptick in his stuff. Tiedemann’s fastball now sits 89-92 mph and touches 94 with life out of a low slot that creates a difficult angle for hitters. His changeup is a plus offering he can throw at any time to lefties or righties, and it has the potential to become a plus-plus pitch as he adds more separation from his fastball. His hard slider has become consistently average. Tiedemann has lots of promising ingredients, but he’s still learning to put everything together. He underwhelmed at times this spring, posting a 3.55 ERA and allowing more than a hit per inning against subpar junior college competition, and requires a bit of projection. He is an excellent athlete who aggressively goes after hitters, but his arm slot can wander and make it harder to throw strikes. He’ll show above-average control in some outings and struggle to find the strike zone in others. Tiedemann is only 18 and younger than many players still in high school. Teams are optimistic his stuff will continue to grow and he will become more consistent with experience.
• Ranked #80 prospect in 2020 draft
  Few players raised their stock in limited time more this spring than Tiedemann, whose brother Tai is a pitcher in the Rangers organization. An interesting but hardly elite prospect entering the year, Tiedemann came out showing increased velocity and feel for his secondaries and put himself among the top players in a loaded Southern California draft class. Tiedemann is an elite athlete with a physical 6-foot-3 frame, big hands and a tantalizing left arm. His fastball sits around 88-91 mph and touches 93, and his projectable body and athleticism make it easy to envision him reaching the mid-90s once he fills out. He complements his fastball with a potentially plus changeup, and his average hard slider gives him a quality third offering. Tiedemann is one of the youngest players in the class and will still be 17 on draft day. His only drawback is he broke his right, non-throwing wrist on a collision at first base late in the season. Tiedemann is committed to San Diego State, but clubs are keen to buy him out of that commitment with his athleticism, youth and projection.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #33 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #30 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: A popup prospect out of Lakewood High in California, Tiedemann rapidly became a top player in the 2020 draft class but went unpicked after teams didn't meet his bonus demands in the shortened five-round draft. He decommitted from San Diego State and enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC to make himself available for the 2021 draft. The Blue Jays drafted him in the third round and signed him for a below-slot $644,800. Tiedemann immediately turned heads with a velocity spike after signing and carried that through his first professional season. He climbed three levels of the minors to Double-A and led the organization with a 2.17 ERA.
  
  Scouting Report: A tall, physical specimen whose frame balances strength and athleticism, Tiedemann sets up on the third base side of the rubber and delivers the ball from a low arm slot. This creates a difficult angle for both lefthanded and righthanded hitters and allows him to wear out the armside half of the plate. Tiedemann mixes three pitches, topped by a plus mid-90s four-seam fastball with heavy armside run. His sweepy slider sits 80-82 mph with a foot of horizontal break and is another plus pitch he mostly throws against lefthanded batters. His changeup is a plus-plus mid-80s offering with tumble and fade that plays off his fastball and annihilates righthanded hitters. Tiedemann is a good athlete who throws all three of his pitches for strikes with above-average control. All of his pitches drive swings and misses, and he has the ability to keep hitters off-balance with advanced sequencing.
  
  The Future: Tiedemann's strong three-pitch mix, unique release characteristics and power from the left side give him the ingredients to develop into a front-of-the-rotation stalwart. He'll see Triple-A and possibly the majors in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: A popup prospect out of Lakewood High in California, Tiedemann rapidly became a top player in the 2020 draft class but went unpicked after teams didn't meet his bonus demands in the shortened five-round draft. He decommitted from San Diego State and enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC to make himself available for the 2021 draft. The Blue Jays drafted him in the third round and signed him for a below-slot $644,800. Tiedemann immediately turned heads with a velocity spike after signing and carried that through his first professional season. He climbed three levels of the minors to Double-A and led the organization with a 2.17 ERA.
  
  Scouting Report: A tall, physical specimen whose frame balances strength and athleticism, Tiedemann sets up on the third base side of the rubber and delivers the ball from a low arm slot. This creates a difficult angle for both lefthanded and righthanded hitters and allows him to wear out the armside half of the plate. Tiedemann mixes three pitches, topped by a plus mid-90s four-seam fastball with heavy armside run. His sweepy slider sits 80-82 mph with a foot of horizontal break and is another plus pitch he mostly throws against lefthanded batters. His changeup is a plus-plus mid-80s offering with tumble and fade that plays off his fastball and annihilates righthanded hitters. Tiedemann is a good athlete who throws all three of his pitches for strikes with above-average control. All of his pitches drive swings and misses, and he has the ability to keep hitters off-balance with advanced sequencing.
  
  The Future: Tiedemann's strong three-pitch mix, unique release characteristics and power from the left side give him the ingredients to develop into a front-of-the-rotation stalwart. He'll see Triple-A and possibly the majors in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/High
  
  Track Record: The Blue Jays could end up with a good value in Tiedemann, a 2021 third-round pick whose velocity spiked after signing for $644,800. He was originally committed to San Diego State, but after he didn&#39&#39t get picked in the five-round 2020 draft, he instead opted to attend Golden West (Calif.) JC, making him draft eligible in 2021 and still just 18 on draft day.
  
  Scouting Report: In college, Tiedemann pitched at 88-93 mph, topping out at 94. That was a tick up in his stuff from what he had previously shown, but his velocity hit another gear, ranging from 94-98 mph in short bursts. Stretched out as a starter, he will probably park below that, but the jump in his high-end velocity changes his future outlook. Tiedemann is already a good athlete with broad shoulders on a strong, well-proportioned frame. He flashes a plus changeup, a weapon he has confidence to use against both lefties and righties, along with a hard slider that some scouts think can develop into an average pitch. Tiedemann was an up-and-down performer in the spring, throwing strikes at times but with an inconsistent arm slot that led his control to escape him and made him more hittable than he should be at that level.
  
  The Future: Tiedemann had some good projection indicators before the draft between his size, athleticism and arm speed, and the velocity development has come on quickly, making him an even more intriguing starting pitching prospect than he was on draft day.
  
  Scouting Grades:
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 50.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Tiedemann emerged as one of the biggest popup prospects in the 2020 draft class at Lakewood (Calif.) High before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the season. Teams weren’t willing to meet his bonus demands in the shortened five-round draft, but he made himself eligible for the 2021 draft when he enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC instead of sticking with his commitment to San Diego State. The Blue Jays drafted Tiedemann in the third round and signed him for $644,800, then realized they might have gotten a steal when his velocity spiked after he signed.
  
  Scouting Report: Tiedemann is a good athlete with broad shoulders on a strong, well-proportioned frame. Only 18 on draft day, Tiedemann’s youth and physicality led many evaluators to project a velocity increase at some point in his career, but it happened quicker than expected. Tiedemann pitched at 88-93 mph and topped out at 94 in college, but his velocity hit another gear when he reported to the Blue Jays, ranging from 94-98 mph in short bursts. He will probably park below that as a starter, but the jump in his high-end velocity changes his future outlook. Tiedemann flashes a plus changeup he has the confidence to use against both lefties and righties and a hard slider that could develop into an average pitch. His low, three-quarters arm slot wanders at times and has led to inconsistent control and performance, but he dominates when he’s on.
  
  The Future: Tiedemann’s velocity increase has made him an even more intriguing starting pitching prospect than he was on draft day. His physical appearance and pitch mix have long earned comparisons to Sean Manaea, and he has similar mid-to-back of the rotation potential.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Tiedemann drew considerable interest out of Lakewood (Calif.) High last year, but teams weren't willing to meet his bonus demands and he went unpicked in the shortened five-round draft. Rather than stick with his commitment to San Diego State, Tiedemann enrolled at Golden West (Calif.) JC this spring to be eligible for the 2021 draft. Tiedemann has blossomed physically over the past year and now stands 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with broad shoulders and a strong, well-proportioned frame. With the increased physicality has come an uptick in his stuff. Tiedemann's fastball now sits 89-92 mph and touches 94 with life out of a low slot that creates a difficult angle for hitters. His changeup is a plus offering he can throw at any time to lefties or righties, and it has the potential to become a plus-plus pitch as he adds more separation from his fastball. His hard slider has become consistently average. Tiedemann has lots of promising ingredients, but he's still learning to put everything together. He underwhelmed at times this spring, posting a 3.55 ERA and allowing more than a hit per inning against subpar junior college competition, and requires a bit of projection. He is an excellent athlete who aggressively goes after hitters, but his arm slot can wander and make it harder to throw strikes. He'll show above-average control in some outings and struggle to find the strike zone in others. Tiedemann is only 18 and younger than many players still in high school. Teams are optimistic his stuff will continue to grow and he will become more consistent with experience.