One day after the 2024 season began in the major leagues, Friday marked Opening Day across the Triple-A level, meaning several highly touted prospects were in action, including left-handed starter Ricky Tiedemann.
Tiedemann, the Toronto Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect, took the ball for the Buffalo Bisons in a matinee affair versus the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders — the New York Yankees’ minor-league affiliate. He pitched 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on three hits, two walks and one hit-by-pitch while striking out a trio of batters.
The 21-year-old lefty departed with two outs and two runners on base in the third inning, giving way to reliever Andrew Bash. He threw 65 pitches, 44 of which were strikes.
Tiedemann attacked the strike zone consistently, a point of emphasis from Blue Jays coaches coming out of spring training. He displayed an impressive heater, with his four-seamer averaging 94.3 m.p.h. and maxing out at 97.4. It was responsible for two of his three strikeouts, inducing seven swinging strikes on 17 swings, accounting for a 41 per cent whiff rate.
The third-round selection from 2021 also impressed with a few sweepers, one of which caught former Blue Jays farmhand Jordan Groshans looking on a called third strike. He also occasionally mixed in his changeup, using it 15 per cent of the time and exclusively against right-handed batters.
One of his few blemishes was a first-inning solo blast from Greg Allen that came off a down-and-in breaking ball. While he beamed the next hitter, the talented hurler settled in and retired the next three he faced in order.
Buffalo’s offence supplied Tiedemann with five runs of support in the bottom half of the first inning, sparked by Spencer Horwitz’s two-run 421-foot dinger.
After recovering from a hamstring/calf issue in camp, the 6-foot-4 starter made three Grapefruit League starts this spring, fanning eight across 6.2 innings. He did, however, surrender four earned runs on six hits — including two home runs — and three walks.
The Long Beach, Calf., native made just 15 starts last season because of a nagging left biceps injury, which sidelined him for over two months. He earned a 3.68 ERA in 44 innings across four levels (complex league, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A), punching out 82 hitters.
Tiedemann threw four innings without allowing an earned run in his Bisons debut last September, giving up a pair of hits and walks while issuing six strikeouts.
The Blue Jays sent him for additional work in the Arizona Fall League, where he posted 23 punchouts and a 2.50 ERA over 18 innings in four starts with the Surprise Saguaros.
In his third professional season, Tiedemann will headline a Bisons starting rotation that includes fellow top prospect Chad Dallas, Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, Paolo Espino and Paxton Schultz. Other notable arms are also on the staff, such as Connor Cooke, Mason Fluharty, Hagen Danner, Zach Pop, Brendon Little and Troy Watson.
Alek Manoah, on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder injury and threw two innings in a simulated game on Wednesday, is likely to join that group at some point on a rehab assignment.
If Tiedemann stays healthy and performs well in Buffalo this season, the explosive left-hander could receive an opportunity with the Blue Jays later in the summer.
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